His Angel from His Past
by NinjaChipmunk
Summary: She wanted to remain hidden from the world. However with the Earl on the move, Iris Chase is brought back to Black Order, forced to face her past and to fight alongside the one person she left to protect. Kanda/Oc.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own D-Gray Man. I do own my Ocs.**

* * *

Iris Chase stretched her back with a sigh as she walked lazily down the street. Pure white hair fell pass her hips and swayed back and forth with every step, with bright sapphire blue eyes that carried a bored look.

She was wearing a comfortable white blouse with a black vest, black mid-thigh overalls, black over knee socks, and black knee high boots. Over where her shoulder blades would be were two slits cut into the cloth, apparently allowing something to pass through. Black tattoos shaped like angel wings remained hidden from the world's sight thanks to her outfit.

"Good morning Miss Iris!"

Iris stopped and turned to see a little girl and boy, waving excitedly to her. A small smile touched her lips. To the people of Rainswood, Iris was the savior of the small town; coming to them in the form a child that bore a striking resemblance to the statue of an angel in the church. Protecting them day and night, keeping the dark creatures from their homes.

Raising her hand, Iris waved back to the children with a grin. "Morning you two!"

The boy ran up to her, wide green eyes sparkling with delight. "Are you gonna go hunt those monstas that attacked Old Man Mookie?"

Iris nodded, ruffling the boy's hair. Old Man Mookie, an old man who lived just outside the town, had been killed mysteriously and then his home had had been burned down to utterly nothing. The townspeople had rushed down to see what was happening and one person reported seeing orb shaped monsters floating away from the scene. The mayor had asked Iris to look into the matter and she willingly agreed.

She looked up to the sky. Black blue clouds began to swirl overhead, casting a dark shadow over the town. Narrowing her eyes, Iris eyed the sky before looking down at the children.

"You lot should go home. It looks like a storm is coming." She ordered, shooing them away. The children laughed and waved goodbye as they hurried home.

Iris waved with a smile that faded and was replaced with a frown as the children closed the doors to their homes. Her back started to itch, a warning sign and a painful memory. A familiar face of a young boy swam before her vision, that ever present scowl on his face.

Iris let out a sigh, reaching behind to scratch that itchy spot. He wouldn't understand. She knew her oldest friend would never understand why she left. She was the Angel Exorcist, unbound by chains or orders from those with no compassion.

She made a face. _'Wow that was clique…..'_

But him…

The corners of her lips twitched, as she imagined his face as she tormented him as children. How he would spar with her till one of them fell either, out of victory or exhaustion, and then they would have a heart to heart chat with him. Course his answer to everything is either a grunt or a 'che'.

A loud crack of thunder snapped her out of her thoughts. Thick torrents of rain fell from above, soaking her within seconds. Smiling, Iris lifted her arms and let the cool water wash away her concerns, only for moment.

"You know that a lovely lady such as yourself should be indoors. Although, you were always the strange one amongst the younger group."

Iris's smile disappeared as the voice floated through the sound of the rain. Lowering her arms and not even turning around, she spoke, her tone irritated.

"I heard you were dead, Cross. But then again, you are a resilient old fart."

"Watch it you brat. I'm still your teacher." A tall man in a black and gold coat snapped at the younger woman, standing only a few feet way from her.

Cross' one visible eye watched her crossly-

(Hehe! Get it? Cross? Crossly?...Get it?...Sorry.)

-from under his glasses. His fiery red hair flipped as the wind brushed through the strands, lightly hitting the half of his face that wasn't covered by his mask. Cross had grown a little goatee, making him look a bit younger Iris remembered him to be. He was handsome no doubt, but Iris had seen him many a time, try and flirt his way into some poor unfortunate woman's heart. Thankfully, Cross was defenseless against the looks of lovely women or the sight of pretty girls, and that gained Iris an advantage over him. More than once did Iris managed to get Cross to do jobs for her. Such as keeping tabs on the Black Order.

The General shrugged his broad shoulders, his head tilting to the side, a bored, unconcerned expression on his face. "Besides, I have the uncanny ability to stay alive. You above people would know this."

Sapphire eyes hardened and grew sharp like diamonds. "Why are you here Cross?" she demanded.

A smirk graced his smooth tan face. "Why don't we take this inside?" he asked, waving his hand to a rather large restaurant close by.

Iris scowled before grumbling to Cross to follow her. The General walked silently beside her, his one eye observing her. He frowned lightly. Her lovely white hair was longer, brushing a little below the hips, all traces of former baby fat was gone, showing off high cheekbones; her skin was a lot more paler then he remembered. A smile touched his lips. Little Iris had grown up into a lovely woman. Oh Tiedoll would be crushed to see his 'precious little daughter' was now a marble warrior. Klaud would most likely be proud to see the young woman she trained for so long to be strong and how much more lovelier she was than before. Yeager would probably take Iris aside and discuss with her if she had found any interesting things on her travels. Zokaro would just challenge the girl to a death match. His brow furrowed as Iris led him outside of the village to a forest, a smooth path leading through thick trees.

They arrived at a medium sized cottage with a weeping willow in front, a pond off to the side with lotus blossoms floating on the clear water. Cross looked closer and spotted multi colored koi lazily swimming along.

Yep. This was definitely her place. Iris stopped at the wooden door with an elegant design twisting and twirling in fancy knots. Cross peered around her shoulder, spotting no handle on the dark wood. Unknown to her old teacher, Iris reached up and quickly palmed something into her right hand. Reaching out, Iris placed the same hand on the door, her palm resting in the middle of a large blooming lotus blossom. Her hand glowed; a silvery blue light filled the carved lines in the door, the design burning brightly with light.

Cross quirked an eyebrow at the sight. That was new...

But cool.

A soft click sounded and Iris pushed the door open, attaching whatever was in her hand back to her neck. Running her fingers through her wet hair, Iris wrung the water out of her locks as she walked into her home.

Stepping in, Cross took off his hat, waving the water off. He looked around. It was simple. The first room had a table surrounded with a few chair, a vase filled with red roses. A newly lit fireplace was placed against the far left wall, a thick deep blue rug placed before it. Farer in the back was the kitchen, where Cross could hear Iris moving around. Off to the right were a few doors, each leading off to some other rooms, most likely to her room and some for guests.

Iris walked out, holding a wooden tray with a tea set. Placing it on the table, she motioned Cross to take a seat as she poured a cup of green tea. The older man placed his hat on the table and sat down, taking the tea she offered and sniffed it. He grimaced.

"Don't you have any wine? Or anything that can get me drunk off my ass?"

The former Exorcist sent him a scathing look. "No. You came to me and I want some damn answers." She retorted as she disappeared back into the kitchen.

Cross took a sip of his tea and gagged. "Never understood how you and that boyfriend of yours could drink this crap."

Walking back out with a plate filled with dumplings, Iris rolled her eyes as she placed the plate down. Sitting down, she took her cup and took a sip, cold sapphire eyes glaring at him over the rim.

"Now tell me why you're here Cross."

The General picked up a dumpling and nibbled on it, made a face and then put it back down. "I came here to tell you're going to have some visitors later on in the future."

Iris stiffened. "What kind of visitors?" she demanded sharply.

Cross rummaged through his pockets, his brow furrowed as he sought whatever he was looking for. Pulling out a pathetic looking envelope, Cross slid it across the table towards Iris. The young woman frowned as she picked it up and opened it, tugging out a ripped and wrinkled paper. She scanned the letter, her lips tugged into a deeper frown as she read. Cross watched her intently, watching her reactions closely. From the many years he had known Iris, he knew she had a dangerous temper and it wasn't wise to ignite it even more. One time, another Exorcist had made fun of her white hair and he was in the infirmary for 3 weeks. Iris had only been 8 years old when that happened, while the other Exorcist was in his mid 30's. It was rather sad and it was the main topic of gossip for weeks.

Iris felt her fury begin to rise as she read the letter.

_"….inspect rumors of the fugitive Exorcist, Iris Chase, of being alive and bring her to the Black Order headquarters to be evaluated. Use any force needed to bring her in if need be…"_

Infuriated eyes glared up at him. Cross held up his hands cautiously. "Hey I only came here to warn you. Don't get your panties in a twist, kid."

Iris stood up, dropping the letter onto the table and walked towards the window. A steady rain fell, giving the area a mystic look. Cross watched her curiously as she stared out the window with a solemn face. She was reacting better than he thought she would.

He was expecting a broken chair... or something that would go flying and cause physical harm.

"Who's the team?"

Her voice was so soft Cross strained to hear her. His eye softened at her trembling form.

"Is it him?" she croaked.

Silence.

"Cross!" she snarled, whipping around to face him. "IS IT HIM?"

The small nod was all it took for Iris to let out a moan of sorrow and slump to her knees.

Kneeling in front of her, Cross placed his hand on her shaking shoulder.

"I know you did this to protect him," he murmured to her. "But the Earl is rising. He deserves to know the truth and all of the truth. Besides, it won't be a secret for long."

Iris rubbed her eyes, wiping away a stray tear. "I know. I know. But…. I tried so hard…"

Cross sighed and stood, his one eye watching her. "So will you come with me?"

Iris sent him a weak glare. "Hell no! I would rather lose a thumb than go with you!"

Cross shrugged and walked back towards the table and picked up his hat. Smoothing his wild red hair back, Cross plopped his hat on and walked towards the door. Iris stood and walked to the table, sat down and swallowed a gulp of tea. Cross turned to face Iris once more and opened his mouth.

"No, Cross. I will not tell you where the nearest brothel is."

Cross glared at her. "You're cruel and heartless, kid."

Iris smirked at him from her spot. "Beat it Cross, before I find something sharp and pointy to impale you with."

Cross scowled at her and left, waving over his shoulder as he disappeared into the rain. Iris waited for a few minutes and stood, heading towards a large closet. Opening the double drawers, iris directed her attention to a lower drawer. Pulling it open, Iris tugged out a large black case covered in dust. She blew on it, coughing as the dust rose, waving her hand wildly to clear the air. Kneeling onto the floor, Iris brushed some more dust off the case, revealing a silver crest etched onto the wood. Blinking rapidly to clear the dust in her eyes, Iris slowly unclasped the locks and took a deep breath.

She opened it.

Art materials were laid in an orderly fashion before her. Pens, pencils, paints, brushes and charcoal, all untouched. Iris ran her slim fingers over the pencils before gently picking up a piece of paper that was attached to the top of the case. Slowly and carefully, Iris opened the letter and read it after 8 years.

_To my dearest and only daughter,_

_The day I accepted you and Yu into my team was the most wonderful day of my life. You were so full of life and ready to see the world, even though your Innocence caused you trouble. Everyday when you smiled and laughed, the sun seemed to shine even brighter. I remembered when you and General Klaud's Innocence got into some of my paints and painted Cross' and Zorako's coats and rooms. Their faces made everyone laugh as they chased the two of you all around HQ, and how you and Klaud's Innocence hid behind Yeager, begging him to hide you two. And you and Yu, oh child, I know that you two will forever be the best of friends, perhaps maybe even more. Just remember my daughter, you will always be loved, you will always be missed, and you will always be wanted. _

_Happy 9th birthday, dear one. And enjoy the art kit!_

_General Froi Tiedoll_

Iris smiled weakly. General Tiedoll was very fond of her and Kanda, always calling them his son and daughter. Glancing down at the materials, she trailed her slim fingers brushing against the pencils thoughtfully. With a sigh, she stood and stared at the clothes that hung before her. A long black ankle length skirt with slits that trailed up to mid thighs, paired with a pair of shorts. An oriental top with silver lining along with the same crest on the box, hung on a hanger. Like her current top, two thin slots were placed over where her shoulder blades would be. Placed off to the side were black ankle high heels with thin chains decorating the sides. A pair of over knee socks were folded neatly on a small shelf off to the right.

Reaching out, Iris rubbed the sleeve of the shirt thoughtfully. With a sigh, she pulled off her top and pulled on the one in the closet. Closing the clasps, Iris shedded her pants and slipped on the shorts, reaching slightly above mid thigh. Pulling the ankle length skirt on, Iris slid on the socks and shoes. Digging through the drawers, Iris pulled out a silver belt and wrapped it around her hips.

She was about to slip a small scythe into a slot on the belt but she paused and gazed at it thoughtfully.

It was small, about the size of a coffee cup, the blade appearing like it couldn't cut through anything. It was an uncommon weapon for an Exorcist, but it worked for her.

Running a comb through her hair, Iris tied it up into a high bun with two blue and silver chopsticks. Slipping on a pair of long sleeves that reached below her thumb, Iris tugged on black gloves. With a long cloak wrapped around her shoulders, Iris strolled towards door and walked into the rain.

* * *

A crowd of people walked behind the former Exorcist as she rode on a large black and white stallion. Iris gently rubbed her mount's neck as they trudged through the rain and mud.

"Miss Iris?" the mayor asked.

Iris turned to look curiously at the balding man. "Yes?"

He patted his damp forehead with his handkerchief as he peered up at the woman from under his umbrella.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, concerned.

Iris shrugged. "It is my duty."

The mayor gave her a nervous look as they arrived at the ruins of Old Mookie's house. The villagers stayed at the edge of the forest as Iris dismounted the horse, giving the reins to the mayor. Unclipping the clasp on her cloak, Iris draped the thick fabric over her saddle, protecting the expensive leather.

"I want you all to go back to the village," Iris ordered, pulling her scythe out. "I don't want you to be part of this."

The mayor hesitated before turning and ushering the town out of area. "All right everyone, please return your homes and our Angel Exorcist will return to us whole!" he happily cheered.

Loud shouts of 'good luck' and 'May God be with you, Miss Iris!' to which the said exorcist ignored. They were there, hiding, waiting for her to reveal her Innocence and steal it.

"Innocence. Activate." she whispered, pressing her lips softly against the black handle of the tiny scythe.

The blazing green light of the power of Innocence shone bright as the scythe grew in length as the blade extended. Intricate designs were carved into the black wood of the scythe, lilies engraved in the blade. She held it high, feeling the power hum violently from under her fingers. Hauntingly moans and groans surrounded her as the four Akuma drew close, shedding their human skins.

"Akuma," she called out. "Let my blade break your chains of sorrow."

Purple bullets rained down upon her, destroying the ground on which she stood. Leaping high into the air, Iris landed onto one of the Akuma, bringing her scythe down. The blade sliced through its thick skin, the dark blood showering the ground red. The Akuma wailed and exploded, hitting the ground with thud. Iris landed on the ground, doing a back flip to avoid a oncoming bullet. She glanced up to see one Akuma aiming all of it cannons and circling her like a lion.

Twirling her Innocence rapidly, Iris deflected the bullets, scattering them around her. She shot up in the air and brought her feet down hard onto an Akuma, slicing through the pained soul in half. The total of Akuma was now down to the two hovered around her cautiously.

"Do not even try to run Akuma," Iris hissed, wiping the foul blood that covered her face. "I am the Angel Exorcist. No evil creature shall escape my scythe."

The one of the Akumas screamed and lunged for her, cannons glowing.

Iris shot forward and brought her scythe down onto one of the cannons, causing it to exploded in the Akuma's face. Using the distraction, Iris killed the Akuma, closing her eyes as the Akuma let out one last dying cry before hitting the ground. Silently she murmured a prayer for the poor soul that was forced to be an Akuma. She flung her scythe to the left sharply. The last Akuma attempted to sneak way before being split in half by the spinning scythe. It spiraled back to Iris' hand, the blood soaked scythe gleaming.

Letting out a sigh, Iris deactivated her Innocence and fell down onto her behind with a grunt. Looking around, she stared at the bodies of Akumas that surrounded her. Wrinkling her nose at the stench of blood, Iris wiped her hands on her skirt. But a sudden flash of color immediately caught her eye, making her whip her head around at see a Finder running off.

"Oh hell!" she cursed, jumping up and racing after him.

She knew she wouldn't be fast enough to catch up with him and so, she unhappily summoned her second Innocence.

The Finder gasped as he hurried away to inform HQ. Iris Chase was hard to find, especially with several Finders spending eight years looking for her.

Suddenly, a massive figure landed in front of him. The Finder skidded and landed hard onto his back. He looked up in terror as the Exorcist hovered over him, massive white wings held high above them both. Sapphire eyes burned down onto him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"And where do you think you are going?" she asked frostily.

The Finder let out a nervous laugh at her anger. "Exorcist Chase! H-h-how are you doing?"

Iris tapped her index against her arm, giving him a dangerous look. "So I believe that you were going to alert the Black Order of my existence?"

"I-i-i-it is m-my d-d-d-duty. I-I-I-I was o-ordered to find-d-d you."

Iris stared at him for a moment before her large wings slowly melted back into her back, thin traces of blood trailing down her milky white skin. The Finder flinched. It looked very painful.

"Very well."

The Finder blinked in shock. "What?"

Iris sheathed her scythe into her belt. "You can report to the Black Order of my position."

"Really?!"

Rubbing her shoulder, Iris opened an eye to stare down at the shocked Finder. "Of course. Now leave." she ordered.

The Finder grinned before running off into the dark forest.

Iris smirked, bangs covering her eyes as she whispered, "After all, I like a good chase."

* * *

**So this is my first D-gray Man fic. I actually started this about a year ago but never finished it. Oh and it will follow the anime and then somehow blend into the magna cause I only have the first two seasons of D-Gray Man. **

**Oh Iris is 17 in this. She ran away at the age of 9 from the Black Order.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy...cow...I have people putting His Angel from His Past in their Favorites and they are Following it! My first D-Gray Man story :D *squeals* YES! I feel so warm and fuzzy now! Okay, since its summer I won't be posting as much I as would like to, cause I'm being dragged on so many vacations, but I will try to update as soon as I can!**

**And I have a reviewer! Thank you Prunella7! I'm so glad you approve of this pairing! **

**Now...on with the story! **

**I do not own D-Gray Man. I do own my oc.**

* * *

The large horse named Obelisk grunted unhappily as Iris tightened the girth around his belly. The young woman patted the stallion's thick neck before disappearing into the cottage once more. She placed her unused art kit into a bag along with a week's worth provisions for her escape. Giving the cottage one look around, Iris placed something on the table, easily visible to any who enter. Grabbing her cloak, Iris tied the clasp tightly and tugged the hood up around her head.

She straightened and shouldered the bag with a sigh. Turning, Iris strode out the door and tied her bag to the saddle. Grabbing the reins, Iris hoisted herself onto Obelisk's back. Pausing she turned to take on last look at the cottage she called home for 8 years.

Taking a deep breath, Iris turned and urged the stallion into a steady canter towards town. The steady hoof beats pounded against the earth, echoing in her ears. A deep rumble sounded across the sky, making Iris look up with a scowl. While her home was beautiful and peaceful, it also had a fair share of rain that randomly appeared.

The forest easily fell away as she entered the town, her mount's hooves clacking loudly against the cobblestones. Stragglers paused from their actions to stare at the cloaked figure that cantered through the town towards the mayor's home. By the time she reached the mayor's home, an entire crowd had gathered and were armed with umbrellas.

"Mayor Miles!" Iris called out, tugging the reins back harshly, making Obelisk rear.

The balding man poked his head his window to squint at the cloaked Exorcist. "Miss Iris?" he asked in surprise.

"Mayor Miles, I am leaving." Iris called out, her voice firm.

The old man nearly fell out of the window at her response. "What?" he demanded.

People started to gather around Iris, ignoring the misty drizzle of rain. They grabbed her cloak, her riding gear, anything they could grab onto to prevent her from leaving. Mayor Miles stumbled out his home, his porky feet stuffed into goulashes while his young, pretty wife peeking out from the doorway.

"B-b-but why?" Miles demanded.

Iris bent down to whisper. "People are coming for me. I must leave."

"I don't understand."

Iris gave him a sad smile. "I know. If these people approach you, you must tell them this."

She murmured something in his ear before raising her voice to the gathering people.

"My friends! My heart is full regret to tell you that I am leaving. But do not fear, others will come to protect you!"

"Miss Iris!" a frail unhappy voice called out. "Please don't leave!"

Iris glanced down to see one of the two children she talked to the morning she met Cross. The little girl stared up at her, tears gathering in large blue green eyes. Iris' own eyes softened before she pulled out something from her pocket and gave it to the girl. A tiny silver wing and tiny sword with a red jewel embedded in the hilt, hung from a thin chain that was placed in the little girls hands.

"Hey kiddo," she whispered gently. "I need you to do something very, extremely important for me? It is life and death important."

The little girl's eyes widened before she nodded eagerly. Iris tapped the necklace she had given the child.

"I need you to give this to a man who carries a sword. Ask him for his wing and blue sword. He will understand. Can you do this?"

"Yes ma'am!" the child said firmly, standing tall.

Iris smiled before sitting straight in her saddle.

"May God protect you all!" she shouted before turning Obelisk around and taking off on the main road at a gallop.

People gathered at the entrance of the village, watching as their protector vanished in the misty distance.

Iris watched the road carefully, staying alert for any lights or figures in black and silver. Her heart ached sadly as she left her home, the people she called friends and the memories they shared, both good and bad.

_'I am sorry everyone, but my past is coming to the light. Come Exorcists! Let's see if you can catch the Angel Exorcist before she catches you!_'

* * *

Allen Walker happily sat down on the seat next to Lenalee while Kanda sat opposite of them, staring moodily out the train window.

The bubbly Exorcist gave Kanda a smile. "Come on, Kanda! Cheer up! We're going to see Iris again!"

She received a dark look and 'che' from the samurai as he continued to glare outside, his lips tugged down in a deep scowl.

Allen opened one of the three files that Koumi had given him, Lenalee and Kanda before they left.

* * *

"_I know you both came back from fighting the Earl and saving Russell's son, Allen, Lenalee. But all three of you are needed on this mission that's coming from the head honchos themselves." The purpled haired scientist explained, handing out files to the three. _

_Allen and Lenalee sat together on the couch while Kanda leaned against the wall, glaring silently._

_Koumi pushed his glasses higher up on his nose. "Your mission is to find a former Exorcist who escaped from the Black Order eight years ago. There have been recent rumors about her being alive and the higher ups want her brought in. A Finder just returned from a village called Rainswood and said that she was sighted there."_

_Allen flipped through the file quickly, browsing the paragraphs quickly. "Who are we exactly looking for?"_

_Koumi's green eyes flickered towards Kanda for a spilt second. "Her name is Iris Chase."_

* * *

Allen flipped through the pages to find the picture of the young woman they were in pursuit of. He blinked at the picture in surprise.

A young girl, probably no older than 6, stared at the camera, a blank look on her chubby face. Short white hair was cut just below her ears, the tips curling ever so slightly. Large, bright blue eyes looked up at Allen, hidden under long lashes. The Exorcist frowned slightly, looking even closer. That when he managed to see the scars. They were faint yes, but he could still see them. In the picture, Iris Chase wore a sleeveless top that revealed the scars crisscrossing all along her milky white skin. He could see the weariness in those blue eyes as she stared up at him from the picture.

"Pretty isn't she?" Lenalee's voice broke Allen's train of thought. He looked up to see Lenalee staring down at her own picture, a sad smile on her face.

"Yeah, she is." Allen said, smiling. He frowned. "But it's been 9 years. How do we know what she'll look like now?"

Kanda snorted. "Be hard not to notice a girl with white hair, Beansprout."

"My name's ALLEN! Say with me now, AL-LEN. Okay, BaKanda?" The boy snapped.

Lenalee immediately tried to intervene. "Knock it off you two!" she scolded. "And Allen, Brother ran Iris' picture through one of the computers so we could at least get an idea of what she looks like now." She pulled a picture out and held it out for him, "Here."

Allen took the picture and looked it over before blushing slightly. The young girl had immediately transformed into a young woman around their age, if not older. The eyes had narrowed and her face was now thinner with high cheekbones. Her hair remained the same length like her younger photo, perhaps a bit longer, but she was still pretty.

"Looks nothing like her." Kanda grunted from his spot.

Allen gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

Kanda shifted in his seat, Mugen tucked protectively against his shoulder. "She hated short hair, wanted it long so she could braid ribbons in it."

"And you know this how?"

Kanda said nothing. His eyes just stared out the window, watching the trees and buildings dash by.

Lenalee blinked thoughtfully. "You two were pretty good friends before she ran away."

She received a grunt in reply. The two Exorcists gave each other glances before the train let out a loud shrill whistle at the arrival at the station.

Lenalee stood up, grabbing her suitcase. "Come on guys, this is our stop."

As Allen and Lenalee walked off the train with Kanda following behind them, they stopped to stared at an old fading sign that pointed off into the distance and said, _Town of_ _Rainswood._

Allen tilted his head with confused look. "This is village is supposedly popular and easily found on a map. Why would Miss Chase hide here?"

Lenalee shrugged. "Probably because it's popular. Iris might of thought that no one would look here. They would be looking for someplace more hidden and a lot more discreet."

Kanda stared up the sign, unknowingly fingering the beaded bracelet around his wrist.

_"Happy Birthday, Yu! I made this for you! Put it on!" _

Shaking his head to clear the memory of her childish voice, Kanda strode pass Allen and Lenalee towards the town.

The three traveled quickly on the worn pathway, heading towards a small town that seemed to lead into a large forest. They stopped at the entrance to peek in.

"They seem so..."Allen paused, watching the people move silently throughout their errands. "Sad."

Lenalee nodded while Kanda che'd and strolled into the village, his companions scrambling after him.

At first when they strode in they had an air of confidence, but it all faded way as they slowed to a stop. Villagers started to surround them, gathering close to stare at them. Kanda's fingers inched slowly towards Mugen as the villagers grew closer.

"Allen?" Lenalee asked, her tone wary.

He answered the unasked question. "No. They're not Akuma."

"Of course we're not Akuma, boy!" a stout man declared, waddling forward.

Quirking an eyebrow at the man, the blue haired samurai stared at the man. "And you are?"

"I'm Mayor Brian Miles, I'm in charge of this town. And you?"

Allen stepped forward, holding out his hand politely. "I'm Allen Walker, this is Lenalee and this is Kanda. We are Exorcists sent from the Black Order. We are looking for-"

"Iris Chase. We know." Mayor Miles said hotly, frowning at them. "So you three are the ones that are after Miss Iris."

"You know her?" Allen asked, excited. "Where is she?"

"Gone." Miles said dryly. "Left three days ago."

"She's gone?" Kanda demanded.

"Mister Exorcist?" a voice squeaked, tugging on Kanda's jacket.

The said Exorcist blinked down at a little girl that stared up at him. "What?" he asked gruffly.

The girl tugged something off her neck and held it out for him. "Miss Iris asked you for your wing and blue sword."

Kanda froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the necklace. The two charms seem to mock him as they glimmered, a tiny wing and a small sword with a red stone in its hilt.

Lenalee slowly approached Kanda. "Kanda?" she asked softly.

The Exorcist knelt down to the girl's height, tugging something off around his neck and held it out next to the girl's necklace. The silver chain sparkled as it swung slowly in the light, a small silver wing and sword with a blue jewel glimmering. Kanda let his lips twitch slightly at the little girl's gasp of delight. She gave him a beam before placing her necklace into his own hand.

She giggled happily before running off. Kanda stood, clutching the necklace tightly before turning to Miles with a determined look. "Show us where she stayed."

Miles nodded before leading them into the forest, the villagers watching them quietly.

"Mayor Miles, how exactly did Iris come to live here?" Lenalee asked they walked down a worn pathway.

"It was a long time ago," Miles explained. "Our town had been under attack from Akuma for many years. We would lose people to those monsters many times a week. Many times we would not even leave the safety of our homes in fear of being attacked."

"You mean the Black Order never came to help?" Allen asked, astonished.

"No. One day, we were under attack and a blur of white and black attacked the Akuma. It fell, and the blur continued to attack the rest of the Akuma, one by one. When the last Akuma fell, we were shocked to find a young girl with wings four times her own size, holding a scythe that stood high over her head. She became known as our protector, our Angel so to speak and we believed she was a messenger from God himself." he continued.

"One of our oldest carpenters had created a cottage for her, hidden deep in the forest. She designed the cabin door to open to her hand...and her hand only. Our Angel lived in that cottage for eight years, until now. Here we are." Mile said, stopping at an opening in the forest.

A large cabin was placed in the center of the opening, under the shade of a weeping willow with pond placed nearby. Kanda had paused to stare at the flowers floating in the water before turning back to the others.

"Whoa..." Lenalee whispered staring at the front door.

The large rosewood door was carved expertly with lines that twisted and twirled into elegant designs with a flower in the center. Allen tried to push it open but it wouldn't budge.

"There's no knob..." he said, patting where the said knob would be.

"Like I said," the mayor explained. "Miss Iris designed this door to open by her hand only."

"How is that even possible?" Lenalee demanded. "There is no keyhole for a key and I doubt she could open it with her bare hands."

Kanda watched as the three tried to open the door before looking down at the necklaces he held. The wings shone in the sunlight, the jewels in the swords glinting playfully up at him.

_'Only you would think of something like this, Iris_.' He mused, rubbing one of the wings. _'Only you.'_

He looked at the lotus blossom on her door for moment before stepping forward and pushing the three out of his way.

"Kanda what are you-?"

"Shut it, beansprout."

The harshness in his voice made Allen freeze as Kanda bent down face to face with the lotus.

"All I know is that when Miss Iris touched it," the mayor said, wiping his forehead. "Is that it-"

He stopped as Kanda tugged off the one of wings and placed it on the center petal of the lotus carving. Moving the wing around, Kanda found a wing shaped indentation in the carved petal. Smirking, Kanda pressed the wing into the indentation and a sudden glow began to run along the craved wood.

"Yeah. It did that." the mayor said, sweat dropping.

Kanda smirked as Allen and Lenalee gasped in awe. _'Yep. Only you could think of this. Using one of the wings to act as a key...'_

When the glow stopped, Kanda pushed the door open, stepping into the bare cottage. He paused at the table, picking something off the oak table and stared at it, his face blank.

Lenalee peered curiously around the cottage, checking the rooms. "Its pretty simple." she mused.

Allen opened a few drawers before closing them. "There's nothing here but dust."

"Not quite." Kanda spoke up.

The two Exorcists gathered around him to peer over his shoulder at what he held.

A small simple photo frame sat in his hand, the light gleaming on the glass. In the photo were a small boy and girl. Allen quickly recognized the face of little Iris Chase as she held an oddly familiar blue haired boy in a chokehold. Iris was beaming happily at the camera while boy was giving her a scowl and seemed to be shouting with protest as he struggled to get out of her grasp.

"Kanda?" Lenalee said softly. "Is...is that...you?"

Kanda said nothing, running his thumb lightly against the fame before stuffing it in his pocket. He turned to Miles and demanded,

"Which direction did she go?"

Miles turned and pointed. "She left on the road you three arrived on and traveled north."

Kanda adjusted Mugen on his back and started to leave. "Let's go."

Allen gave him a bewildered look. "What?"

A pair cold grey eyes turned to glare at the white haired Exorcist. "We're going to find her. Like we're suppose to."

Lenalee gave Allen a worried glance before running after Kanda. Allen gave Miles a quick bow before racing after the others. The stout man watched them walk off and closed his eyes.

"May God protect you all." he muttered.

* * *

Lenalee turned to Allen as they left the village, heading to the train station again.

"I almost forgot! Hey Allen?"

"Yes Lenalee?"

"Where's Timcanpy?"

"..."

"..."

"TIMCANPY!"

* * *

**WOOOOOOOO! Chapter 2 finished! I almost forgot Timcanpy so I threw him in the end.**

**Have I mention how warm and fuzzy I feel right now after seeing you readers following my story and even putting them in FAVORITES! HOLY FUDGE BUNNIES!**

**Now if I could have just a few more reviews...that be great! Please I really want to hear from you guys and to see what you think of it so far. The more reviews, the more chapters you get!**

**REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own D-Gray Man. I do own my oc.**

* * *

Iris gave the inn owner a smile as she mounted a prancing Obelisk. "Thank you Madame, for letting me stay for the night."

The plump woman chittered happily. "Oh anything for an Exorcist of the Black Order!"

Iris laughed weakly before taking off. Obelisk grunted as they galloped through the fields, passing farmers and their oxen as they plowed their fields.

"I'm glad I kept the silver buttons and emblem from my old uniform." Iris mused as Obelisk slowed down to pick his way through a creek. "I hope the Order doesn't mind the bills though..."

* * *

"Koumi! Why are we getting expensive bills from hotels in places that our people aren't even suppose to be?" Reever demanded, trying to poke his head over the massive pile of papers he held.

The supervisor let out a pitiful whine before burying himself back under the cobweb-invested mountain of papers that sat on his desk. Reever twitched nervously as something big and hairy scuttled under a mound of forms.

"Lenalee..." a certain beret wearing man wailed heartbreakingly. "Come back..."

* * *

"Eh." Iris shrugged. "They'll deal with it."

Obelisk let out a whinny of agreement before trying to take a bite out of a bush. Iris tugged hard on the reins and led him back to the road. They continued on the road for about 2 hours or so before it hit.

A sudden agonizing pulse shot through Iris' heart, making her cry out. She clutched the cloth over her straining heart, gasping for air. The pulse shot through her entire body, running down to the tips of her toes to the tips of her fingers. She fell forward onto the saddle, attempting to take in desperate intakes of air. Obelisk quickly steered off the road into a nearby forest at a brisk trot until when they were completely surrounded by trees.

"Whoa...boy... whoa." she gasped.

Obelisk stopped, making Iris slide off the saddle and onto the ground with a painful thud. She let out a pained whine while dragging herself over to the closest tree and leaning against it.

"Deep...steady...breaths..." Iris gasped. "Ha...easier...said...than...done..." she choked.

Shuddering, Iris struggled to sit cross-legged against the bark. Taking a deep breath, Iris took a deep breath, ignoring the slight wheeze at the end. Slowly, with each calm steady intake, the painful pulses slowly died, leaving Iris tired. Slumping against the tree, she let out a moan of weariness. Obelisk pranced nervously around Iris, tossing his head and swishing his tail.

Iris raised her hand to pat Obelisk's foreleg. "Easy, boy." She whispered, hoarsely

She slowly inched up the tree, leaning against it for support. Grabbing hold of the horn on the saddle, Iris let out a grunt as she swung onto Obelisk's back.

"Okay, boy." she whispered. "Let's go. Nice and steady."

Nudging the stallion, Iris had him take off a trot before a steady canter.

"C'mon boy, let's get outta here before the others show up."

As they traveled on, Iris closed her eyes for a brief moment, trusting Obelisk not to stray off the path.

_'Why now? I haven't had an attack in years, so why am I having them now? God, the world is mocking me_.' Iris thought.

They traveled on, Iris giving passerby brief nods as they passed them. When the sun started to set, Iris turned Obelisk to head towards the closest town. Tugging her hood up, Iris and Obelisk calmly walked through the town, ignoring the whispers and pointing only to stop at an inn. Dismounting, Iris handed Obelisk off to a stable hand and entered the inn. A middle aged man looked up from his records book at the sound of the bell above the door. He beamed at the cloaked figure that approached the desk.

"Ah welcome! How may I help you?"

The figure moved part of their cloak to reveal a silver cross that glimmered from the lit candles.

"I need a room for the night. My horse is in the stables." It was a woman's voice, young and calm.

The man nodded, picking one of many keys that hung behind him. "Of course. Follow me, Exorcist."

As he led the Exorcist through the halls, he attempted to engaged her in conversation.

"Is that black beauty yours?"

"Yes."

"What's his breed?"

"A Shire."

"Ah."

It was quiet for a brief moment as they walked, only to stop a door that the man had opened.

"This will be your room, ma'am. Dinner will be served shortly. Can I get you anything for the moment?" he asked, handing her the key.

The Exorcist walked over to the window and pushed the curtain aside, staring out at the town.

"Some tea would be nice. Herbal if you have it."

"Of course."

The moment the man closed the door Iris took off her cloak and tossed it on the bed. Letting out a sigh, Iris sat down on the mattress and reached up to take out the chopsticks. Shaking her head, Iris combed her fingers through the silky locks before tying it back into a braid. Her hand dropped down onto her lap while she stared at the wall. She just sat there, thinking. Taking a glance out the window, Iris gave the winking stars a brief glance before facing the wall again for a few minutes. Finally moving, Iris reached down to grab the small bag she had packed before she fled Rainswood. Opening the flap, Iris pulled out a small book and began to flip through it. It was a diary, one she had for many years, a gift from General Yeager on her 6th birthday. A tiny flap of paper stuck out of one of the many pages of the diary, the yellowed dog-eared photo peaking out. Iris pulled it out and when she saw the picture, she smiled.

A young Iris and Kanda stood side by side, Kanda holding onto Mugen with a scowl and Iris clutching her scythe with a happy beam. Five people, four men and a woman, sat behind them, all wearing black and gold Exorcist uniforms. Sitting next to little Iris sat an elderly man with long white hair, his hand on Iris' shoulder with a kind-hearted smile; well, as well as one could see the smile under his mustache. Next to Kanda sat a middle-aged man with ruffled graying brown hair, a bottlebrush mustache and eyes that sparkled from behind glasses. He was beaming happily with his own hand on Kanda's shoulder. Behind him stood Cross with his arm around a beautiful blonde woman that was giving the man a glare with a small monkey on her shoulder. Next to her, stood a tall man dressed from head to toe in armor, his cold eyes staring at the camera.

Iris remembered the day the picture was taken.

It spring, the cherry blossom trees were about to bloom at Black Order. Kanda and Iris were about to leave for their first mission with Tiedoll and he had suggested a photo. The other Generals consented (Zokaro needed convincing from an angry Klaud and her pesky Innocence) and they all had the photo taken before the two kids left with Tiedoll.

Iris rubbed her thumb lightly along Kanda's face, tracing the contours gently. Those familiar eyes...She wondered what he looked like after 9 years.

A knock brought her out of her musings. She placed the photo back in the diary and turned to door. "Yes?"

"Ma'am? I brought you your tea and dinner." the man's voice called through the wooden door.

"Come in."

The man entered, pushing a cart with a giant plate filled with a large slab of beef, smothered in gravy, large parsley potatoes, and a heaping portion of buttered green beans with slivers of roasted almonds. A simple tea set sat next to the plate, steam rising from the spout.

He placed the dishes onto the desk, pouring her a cup of tea. "Here you are."

She accepted the cup, inhaling the scent. She quirked an eyebrow. "Chamomile?"

The men smiled at her. "It's suppose to be relaxing for the drinker. For being an Exorcist I believed you needed a healthy dose of it."

Iris smiled lightly. "Yes. I suppose I do."

He gave her a little bow and left.

Iris sat down at the desk and began to eat her dinner, nearly moaning at the taste of a home cooked meal. Having Parasite Typed Innocence was truly... a pain in the ass. Stabbing a piece of beef with her fork, Iris had raised it up to her lips and froze when a flash of gold caught her attention. She dropped the fork and rushed to the windows, slamming them open only to catch a golden ball with wings and a tail.

"No. No, no, no!" she hissed, yanking the windows shut her free hand.

The golden ball squirmed in her grip before wriggling free and fluttering around her room.

Iris grabbed the tail and yanked it close. "Alright, Timcanpy. How did you find me?" she hissed, glaring darkly at where she guessed its eyes would be.

The golem gave her a tiny shrug.

Iris glared even harder, a dark aura surrounding her. Timcanpy sweat dropped at the sight.

"How long till they reach me?"

Timcanpy paused thoughtfully before whapping her palm once.

"One week?"

Shake of the head? Body?

"One day?"

A nod.

Iris huffed, blowing stray strands of hair out of her face. "Great."

She glanced at the golem before opening the window and tossing it out. "Beat it Tim. I'll see you tomorrow."

Once Timcanpy was out of sight, Iris shut the windows and landed on the bed with a groan. She no longer felt hungry; she was too tired to eat. A loud growl from her stomach made her whimper pathetically. Okay, maybe she wasn't that tired...

Sitting back down at the desk, Iris stuffed a forkful of meat and potatoes in her mouth. Chewing, Iris stared down hard at her plate, drawings little images in the potatoes. She finished quickly, gulping her tea down at record time.

She sighed, dropping the fork and running her hands through her hair. "Not much I can do now..." she muttered.

Yanking off her boots, skirt, and sleeves, Iris curled up on her side on the bed. An owl hooted loudly outside her window, bringing back memories that made her smile.

* * *

_A loud frightening screech echoed outside the tiny window of the Black Order. The small room held two medium sized beds on either side of the room. Timid sniffles woke up the oldest resident of the room. The tousled blue haired boy poked his head sleepily from under his blanket to peer over at the younger resistant of the room. Soft sobs coming from the other bed, catching the boy's immediate concern. _

_"What's wrong Iris?"_

_"I'm scared Yu." the little girl whimpered. _

_The small boy turned his head to the window then looked back at her, making a face. "Its just a damn bird, Iris." _

_"But it sounds scary!" the 4 year old girl whined, her big blue eyes wet with tears. _

_Five-year-old Kanda stared at Iris from his side of the room before tossing his blankets off and walked over to hers. "Move over."_

_She blinked up at him from under her covers. "What?" _

_Kanda made an impatient sound and tugged at her blankets. "I said move over." _

_Iris immediately scooted over, watching with wide eyes as Kanda slid in next to her. He grabbed her blankets from her grip and tugged at them until they were covering both their shoulders. She blinked up at him as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly; both of them snuggled close together._

_"Better?"_

_"Mm hm. Thank you, Yu." _

_They stared at each other quietly as the night when on. Kanda started to dose off when Iris' sleepy voice whispered his name._

_"Hm?"_

_"We'll be friends forever an' ever? Right Yu?"_

_He blushed lightly before nodding at her, almost smiling at her giggle. _

_"Yeah, forever an' ever."_

* * *

Iris' hand flew to her collarbone, feeling for a necklace that wasn't there. Her hand flopped to her side and she twisted her hips so she could stare up at the ceiling.

"Forever an' ever, huh?" she whispered. "Whadda say now Yu?"

* * *

**So I'm feeling a wee bit sick so that's why this chapter is shorter than the others. Thank you all of you for reading my story! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!*Insert puppy eyes* See the puppy eyes? Look into the puppy eyes.**

**Thanks again for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody! So I am very excited to see you all reviewing my lovely little story!**

**Here's the moment you've all been waiting for! Iris and Kanda meet after 8 years! And its a...interesting reunion. **

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

**I do not own D-Gray Man. I do own my ocs**

* * *

"There you are Tim!" Allen said in relief at the sight of the golden golem.

He gently cupped Timcanpy in his gloved hands as it landed in Allen's grasp. The three Exorcists stood patiently outside the next town to search for Iris. Lenalee peered over Allen's shoulder to say,

"Where have you been Timcanpy?"

The unique looking golem opened its mouth, revealing sharp little teeth. A video feed started to play before the three. Kanda leaned forward with curiosity in his eyes as the feed flickered before clearing. A large black horse was trotting into the same town Allen and the others stood in front of, carrying its black-cloaked rider. They stopped in front of an inn, the rider dismounting and giving the horse to a stable hand. The rider entered the inn and the feed blurred before showing the rider in a room. The moment the door closed, the rider pulled off their hood. A pretty young woman with hair the color of snow and eyes of sapphires became the main focus of the feed.

"Iris..." Kanda murmured.

The supposedly dead Exorcist pulled a pair of silver and blue chopsticks out of her hair, letting the long locks falling around her.

"We found her!" Lenalee exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together with glee.

Allen place Timcanpy onto his shoulder after its mouth closed. "Then lets go get her."

Allen grabbed his suitcase, leading the three into the town, looking around for the inn Iris was staying. Lenalee was ready to ask for directions for the nearest inn when Allen let a gasp. Kanda and Lenalee turned to look at him in surprise. Allen's cursed eye began to burn in warning.

"Akuma!" he choked.

"Where beansprout?" Kanda demanded.

Allen ignored the insult and pointed outside the town. "Over there!" He shouted, taking off.

Kanda and Lenalee raced after him, avoiding townsfolk as best they could. They reached the end of the town and Allen twisted his head around, his eye scanning rapidly.

"This way." he ordered, turning towards a grove of trees.

Kanda ran ahead, his grip tightening on Mugen as he ran towards the Akuma. A howling shriek of an Akuma alerted him from the left, making him twist around to slice the Akuma in half.

"INNOCENCE, ACTIVATE!" Allen howled, his Anti-Akuma glowing green and evolving into its cannon mode.

"INNOCENCE, ACTIVATE!" Lenalee cried. "DARK BOOTS!" Her boots smashed hard onto an Akuma that was sneaking up on Kanda. Using the carcass as leverage, Lenalee sprang into the air and twirled gracefully as she brought one of the boots down to deflect an oncoming bullet.

Allen twisted and aimed for a group of Akuma at started to head towards the town.

"Don't let them near the town!" Allen shouted as the spears struck down every Akuma.

"Well no duh, Short stack." Kanda said sarcastically, slicing an Akuma down.

Lenalee summersaulted off the side when an Akuma attempted to corner her against a tree. "Guys, this is NOT the time to arguing."

Kanda rolled his eyes before turning around, only to bashed back forty feet and into a tree. Allen and Lenalee whipped around to his direction, spotting his form lying against a broken tree trunk.

"Kanda!" Lenalee cried in horror.

Kanda opened his eyes, gritting his teeth in rage. "Damn it." he snarled, spitting a glob of blood out.

Insane cackling drew the Exorcists' attention, making them up to see a hawk like Akuma.

"Its a level 2!" Allen whispered, his face pale as he remembered his first encounter with a level 2.

"Well what do we have here?" the level 2 purred. "Three puny Exorcists. Do you really think you can defeat me?"

Allen swallowed and lifted the cannon. "We are Exorcists, it is our duty to destroy Akuma and to save the souls of those trapped within."

The Akuma landed on the ground, its wings outspread to keep its balance. "Aw how poetic, but the sad thing about you Exorcists-"

A streak of light and Akuma froze, its red eyes wide in shock. Those haunting eyes turned to look behind it to see a pair of burning sapphires.

"The thing about us Exorcists," Iris said, a smirk on her lips. "Its that we take advantage of our enemies while they prattle on when they could be killing."

The Akuma choked before dark blood exploded out from its massive wound. Its top half slowly slid to ground and hit the dark earth with thud. The lower half stood on its own for a few brief seconds before hitting the ground next to its top.

Allen and Lenalee stared in awe at Iris Chase flicked the massive scythe with her wrist, letting the murky blood drip down.

"Are you...Exorcist Iris Chase?" Allen asked.

When those eyes fell upon him, Allen felt a sudden shiver go down his spine. But the shiver vanished when he had to change his cannon into his sword to block the scythe that was close to cutting off his head.

"Iris! What are you doing?" Lenalee shrieked as the said Exorcist hit Allen again.

Iris said nothing, bringing her foot up to hit Allen under the chin before taking a swipe at his unprotected legs. Allen jumped back and intercepted Iris' scythe with his own sword. Green electricity crackled loudly in air as the two Innocence clashed again.

Lenalee charged forward with her Dark Boots and shouted, "MYSTIC WINDS!"

Iris glanced up and jumped back, away from deadly twisters and brought her scythe up. "Sorry about this Lee!" She shouted, flinging her scythe towards Lenalee.

Lenalee did a backflip, dodging the spinning scythe. She turned to smirk at Iris when something hit her hard the back. The black handle hit her hard in the spine, causing Lenalee to fall flat on her face.

She did not get up.

"LENALEE!" Allen's anguished cry echoed in the small grove.

Iris' eyes widened slightly before narrowing at the sight of Allen's eye, noting the pentacle over the glowing eye. She caught her Innocence in her hand and watched him silently.

"You'll pay!" Allen snarled, his expression furious.

Iris shifted her weight and beckoned him. "Come on then."

Allen charged with a battle roar as Iris crouched. She was ready to lunge forward when she saw a streak of blue, a sharp pain in the back of her neck and then darkness.

* * *

Her eyelashes fluttered softly against her cheeks as eyes opened slowly. Iris let out a soft moan as she woke up with a pain in her neck. She glanced around, noting the moving scenery and debated that she was on a train.

"Oh you're awake!"

Blue eyes met the smiling white haired Exorcist that sat in the seat across from hers. Iris quirked an eyebrow as she straightened up, cracking her neck and smirked lightly at his wince.

"You're very cheerful." she remarked.

The boy sweat dropped embarrassedly. "I'm sorry about that. Back there at the grove. Heat of the moment."

Iris shrugged lightly. "Eh. Not a problem. Now, I have some questions and I would like them answered if possible."

"Of course."

"Great. Who are you?"

The boy chuckled. "I'm Allen. Allen Walker."

"Alrightly then, Allen Walker. Did you guys pick up Obelisk?"

"Oh yes. Your horse is in the livestock compartment of the train."

"Great. How long have I been unconscious?"

"Two days."

'Two-?! Damn. Alright, here's another. What's with the bondage?"

Iris was tied up tightly with rope binding her wrists along with her ankles, leaving about a inch of rope for her to walk. A iron band was wrapped tightly under her bust and Iris had a idea of what it was for.

Allen had blushed slightly at the word 'bondage' and explained, "Kanda insisted on having you tied up. But I have no idea what the band is for. " He confessed.

"To keep her from flying." a voice grunted.

Iris looked at the door and she gaped in surprise before snapping her mouth shut.

He was taller; standing at least three inches above her head. All baby fat was gone, leaving behind a lean young man. Iris was sure there were muscles hidden underneath the Exorcist coat he wore. His hair had grown longer, reaching the small of his back and was tied back with a white band. Two long pieces of the said hair fell in front of his ears, swaying lightly as he moved. The only thing that didn't change were his eyes. Firm, intense, and determined slitted gray eyes.

"Yu." Iris breathed.

He stared at her, his face emotionless. "Look different." he finally grumbled.

Iris lost the shocked look and replaced it with an irritated one. "That's what happens when you hit puberty, Yu."

He scowled while Allen turned pink, stammering at Iris' frankness.

Iris gave Kanda a suspicious look. "You knocked me out didn't you?"

He snorted. "Yeah, I did. So what?"

"Come a little closer Yu Boo and you'll find out." Iris threatened, smirking when he twitched at the childhood nickname.

"Don't call me that!" he snarled at Iris.

"Yu Boo?" Allen murmured thoughtfully,

Kanda glared at Allen before giving Iris a warning look and then left the compartment.

The compartment was silent when Iris said, "Ignore that. Yu's like that."

Allen smiled weakly at her. "I guess so. But why do you tease him?"

Iris shrugged. "Cause he looks adorable when he's mad. He reminds me of a little angry kitten. You know, the tiny kitten with that aura of utter adorableness that everyone can't resist going 'dawwwwww'."

A angry sound came from outside the compartment, making Allen glance at the door nervously while Iris smirked.

'Almost. But not enough.'

Iris returned her attention to Allen. "So is Lenalee recovering?"

"She's fine. But how exactly do you know her? And what did you do?"

Iris shifted her weight and explained. "Long story. As for your next question, with enough power, I can manipulate the air currents with my scythe and choose whether the attack force is deadly or a knock out."

Allen blinked thoughtfully. "Like Lenalee's Dark Boots."

"Yup. Now, I take it that Yu has my scythe."

Allen nodded. "Yes. He was really determined to keep it with him."

Iris snorted, giving Allen a smirk. "Yu wants it as payback after all these years. I use to give him wedgies with it when he annoyed me."

There was a sudden crack, making Iris and Allen look at the door in surprise.

"What was that?" Allen exclaimed.

Iris tilted her head. "Either Yu's patience or his temper. They sound so much alike I'm never sure. If it was both then it's a new record."

The door slammed open revealing a infuriated Kanda. Iris let out a smug smile at the sight of that little familiar pulsating vein in his forehead as he glared down at her. He moved and Iris' vision went black again as pain pulsed from her neck.

_'Ah its good to tick Yu off again.'_ she thought happily as she drifted off to la-la land.

* * *

Iris groaned unhappily as she woke up again, her vision fuzzy. Letting out a 'eep', Iris made a face at her current position. Being carried over Kanda's shoulder while Allen and Lenalee walked behind them with Obelisk.

The Angel Exorcist let out an exasperated sigh. "Yu. I am glad that you are embracing your inner caveman, but your pointy shoulder is jabbing my stomach and if you do not put me down, I will barf."

He grumbled before dropping her hard onto the ground. "Fine. Walk."

Iris glared up at him before leaning forward to push herself up. Allen stopped to offer his assistance, tugging her up until she could stand. Iris glanced down at her tied ankles, noting the inch long of rope that let her move.

Kanda stopped and turned, making Allen, Lenalee, and Obelisk pause. "Hurry it up!"

The other three turned to see Iris a good few feet behind them, shuffling.

"I'm shuffling as fast as I can! Sheesh!" Iris snapped.

Kanda let out a frustrated growl and stalked back.

Iris froze and gave him a wary look. "What are you doing? Kanda, no! Ack! NO! Bad Yu Boo! BAD! Put me down!"

His powerful hands had reached out and slung her over his shoulder, grasping her hips tightly.

"Annnnd back to Caveman mode." Iris drawled, scowling at the view she had of his butt. "All you need now is an animal print loin cloth and giant club. Personally I think you'd look great in tiger stripes."

"Shut up." Kanda muttered. His tone was harsh, but his hands gripping her waist were gentle.

Iris raised her head and twisted it so she could see where she was. A massive black tower hovered high over the trees that surrounded it. What looked like thousands of bats were really the golems that hovered near the tower. She automatically stopped talking and went tense as the group got closer. When they were just feet away for the doors, she spoke.

"Yu." Her voice was soft. "You can put me down."

He paused at the quietness in her voice.. Kanda's hands unknowingly squeezed her hips at her request before carefully easing her down onto her own feet. Iris stood before the Black Order with a serious gaze on the ominous tower.

"You can take off the bonds, Yu." she informed quietly, holding out her wrists. "I won't run."

Allen and Lenalee glanced at each other and then at Kanda, watching his face closely. The said sword-wielding Exorcist stared at Iris silently before raising Mugen and bringing it down on Iris' bonds, cutting them neatly. The ropes fell to the ground as Iris rubbed her wrists and then holding out her hand to Kanda expectantly. Reaching behind him, Kanda pulled out her mini sized scythe and deposited it in her hand. Iris rubbed the handle for a moment before slipping it into a small slot on her belt. She turned so her back faced Kanda, letting him unclasp the iron band under her bust, hearing it clang as it joined the ropes on the ground.

Iris turned her head and gave him a nod before turning to stare at the tower.

"Well...let's get this over with." Iris grumbled and headed towards the Gatekeeper with Kanda, Allen, Lenalee and Obelisk following behind.

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

What shall Iris face when she confronts the shadows of her past?!

Will she continue to give Kanda wedgies with her scythe?!

Will my cats Sebastian and Grell ever stop trying to eat my goldfish Stanley as I type this?! (Not likely.)

Then scroll down! Cause this is not the end of the chapter!

...

Bassy! Grell! Get your heads out of the fishbowl and leave Stanley alone!

* * *

"Looks...brighter." Iris finally declared, studying the main hallway. "A lot more cheerier. Back then it was always gloomy."

After convincing the Gatekeeper that Iris was no Akuma, the gang entered, giving an unhappy Obelisk to a nervous Finder to place in the stables. Iris whispered soothingly to her mount that she would come and visit him, and would bring a bucket full of juicy carrots. The large stallion bounced away happily at her promise.

Lenalee smiled at Iris who was busy inspecting her surroundings. As children, they met briefly and knew each other well enough. However Lenalee didn't hear of Iris' disappearance until almost week after she vanished.

"Its a lot different from way back then Iris." Lenalee explained. "My brother is in charge here and he makes sure its as welcoming as possible to newcomers."

Blue eyes turned upon her, startled. "You mean-?"

"LENALEE!"

The longhaired Exorcist immediately sidestepped as a large blur launched itself at her, hitting the floor with a screech of pain.

Iris stared with wide eyes while the rest of the gang sighed, exasperated.

A tall beret wearing man in a lab coat and glasses sat up, rubbing his sore nose. He whined unhappily at the annoyed looking Lenalee.

"Lenalee how could you? Your dearest older brother just wanted to welcome you back from a long and dangerous trip! And you so rudely avoided my hug?! How could you my dear sweet Lenalee?!" the man sobbed, latching onto Lenalee.

Lenalee sighed and shoved the man away gently. "Stop that Brother!" she scolded. "We returned with Iris!"

The man blinked and turned to see Iris staring at him with a weird look.

"Uh...hi?" Iris said slowly, giving him a little wave.

The man suddenly bounced up and shook Iris hand rapidly with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Exorcist Chase! I'm Koumi Lee, Chief of Science Division!"

"It's nice to meet you?" Iris said slowly. "But we've met before."

He blinked and then smiled. "No, I don't think so!"

Iris sweatdropped at the man. '_Okayyyy__.'_

Komui turned and began to walk away, the others following him. "Now I'm sure that you're tired so why don't we show you to your room and we'll-"

"No."

Everyone stopped and stared at Iris, who was giving Koumi a stern look.

"I want to see Hevlaska. She is still in the same place?" she demanded.

Komui gave her a surprised look before putting on his serious face. "Yes. But-"

Iris turned and left, her cloak swishing ominously behind her.

The Chief tried to go after her but Kanda's voice stopped him.

"Leave her. She has some business to take care of before you can pester her."

Lenalee gave him a surprised look. "What do you mean? Business?"

Kanda gave her a stared before turning and leaving them in the hallway, most likely to his room. Placing Mugen next to his bed, Kanda stripped off his jacket and hung it up before collapsing on his bed.

Soft tinks caught his attention as the two necklaces fell from his coat pocket. Kanda sat up and spotted the chains gleaming on the floor. Getting up, Kanda scooped them up in his hand and stared. His charms remained shiny and free of any dents or scrapes from wearing them while Iris' charms were dull, covered in little scratches and minor scrapes. He sighed before glancing off to his right. It sat there in the hourglass, happily mocking him from its place. Kanda approached the lotus flower, staring at its silky petals before putting the necklaces before it. He couldn't stay here, not when he knew she needed him. Grabbing his coat, Kanda slipped it on as he left, locking the door.

On the small table, the lotus flower glimmered from the light that entered the room. And beneath the lotus sat the necklaces, the wings and swords gleaming as they criss crossed each other in perfect balance.

The game was set, and it was time for the pieces to make their journey across the board. The greatest power waited at the end, expecting one of the pieces to reach it first and win the game.

* * *

**Okay, now it's the end of the chapter. **

**Soooooo...Yu Boo and Iris finally meet after 8 years...hm. If I could I would put in a better fight scene...but I'm terrible at fight scenes so you'll kinda have to be patient with me. **

**Next chapter, Iris confronts Hevlaska about someone from her past while trying to repair a friendship that hangs by a thread! **

**Thankies to all of you for so many reviews! You all are making me feel so happy and special! **

**So please read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my lovelies! **

**So I have a little job for you all...Kanda'a nickname. Now I put 'Yu Boo' but that was only thing I could come up with at the moment. So! I am asking you, my wonderful little readers, to use those beautiful noggins you all have and come up with a nickname for our favorite sword swinging samurai. Then I will put the nicknames you give and put them in a poll (I'll get it up eventually). The most popular nickname will be announced in the next chapter! So go get our cuddly Kanda a good nickname and don't forget to vote when the poll is up!**

* * *

**I do not own D-Gray Man. I do own my ocs.**

* * *

Iris crossed her arms as the gravity defying upside down pyramid thingy floated down the dark tunnel. Her dress fluttered around her legs as the lift slowed down to a stop, Iris raising her head to see a glowing white form rising high above her. The form's features cleared, showing a creature of great beauty and power. White tendrils hovered around the creature's form as she towered over the Exorcist.

"Welcome back Iris Chase." Hevlaska welcomed her, her deep voice echoing in the tunnel. "It is good to see you in one piece after all these years."

"Uh huh." Iris muttered. "Happy day."

Hevlaska stared down that the young woman with non-existence eyes. She could still hear a little girl's screams, the sound haunting Hevlaska for over 8 years. But now, that little girl was a young woman with such hatred for the Order that it formed an iron band around her heart.

Iris sighed and shifted her weight on one side. "I need to know." she informed Hevlaska.

"About what?"

Blue eyes snapped up at the oldest Exorcist of all time. "DO NOT," she hissed. "Play dumb with me, Hevlaska! You know what! Eight years of hearing his voice! Eight years of feeling him force that poison into my heart! I-I-I can't close my eyes without seeing him!" Iris choked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm sorry..." Hevlaska whispered, sorrow truly in her tone.

Iris let out a shaky breath. "I need you to measure my Innocence. ALL of my Innocence."

"Of course." Hevlaska murmured.

Iris pulled her scythe out and tossed it high into the air. Hevlaska caught the spinning Innocence, allowing her measure the power of her Innocence.

"4 percent... 12 percent...28 percent...35 percent... 57 percent...74 percent...86 percent...89 percent. Your maximum syncro rate is 89 percent."

Hevlaska glanced down at Iris. "It is very high after all these years."

Iris snorted, holding her hand out to take the scythe. "I use it more than the other two. "

"Now for the next Innocence." Hevlaska asked.

Iris hesitated for a moment before undoing the clasps of her top. Pulling it off, she revealed a thick low back black tank top made of the same material of the Exorcist's uniform. Turning around, Iris shuddered as Hevlaska's tendrils gently wrap around her, pulling her up into the air. When Iris' black tattoos were close enough, Hevlaska pierced her back with her tendrils, flinching at Iris' cry of pain and surprise.

"Forgot what it felt like!" Iris hissed through gritting teeth.

She could feel each tendril that pulsed in her body, which searched for the second of her accursed Innocence. They found it, and drove deep inside. Iris let out a ragged gasp, arching her back in Hevlaska's hands.

"2 percent...7 percent...14 percent...22 percent. The maximum syncro rate is 22 percent. Why?"

Iris shiver in the cold air. "I hate using it. If I use it then it requires me to use up any energy I have. Then I have to eat large amounts of food. Its better to not even use it at all." Iris replied.

Hevlaska gently turned her around to face her. A single tendril slowly reached forward and shot out, piercing Iris' heart. Her howl of agony echoed in the tunnel as Iris allowed Hevlaska to measure the syncro rate of the final Innocence.

"1 percent...5 percent... 10 percent. The maximum syncro rate is... is 10 percent."

Iris greedily inhaled fresh air as Hevlaska gently placed her back on the lift. "Good." she rasped. "Don't wanna... don't wanna give that...that...bas-bastard the sat...isfaction."

Hevlaska's 'hands' slowly pulled back from Iris, watching her as she shakily stood, tugging on her top. With her scythe tucked in her belt, Iris' trembling hand reached out and pressed a button on the computer. The motor started to hum and as Iris went up, Hevlaska murmured softly to her,

"You are afraid of what would those whom you love and care for find out your true Innocence is. One day, that Innocence will break free, and you cannot prevent as it tears through the hearts of those you love."

Iris narrowed her eyes as she glanced back down at Hevlaska. "Then I'll make sure it'll tear through the one who put there in the first place."

* * *

Kanda raised his head as the lift stopped, Iris stepping off and walking towards him. He could already see the bags starting to form under her eyes; the eyes everyone seemed to love. Those eyes barely glanced at him as Iris had started to move past him when he stopped her. His firm grip gently caught her wrist, making her stop. She didn't face him, her head gazing down at the ground as her loose hair hid her face. Kanda lightly tugged at her, carefully pulling until she started to follow him. They walked along the corridors and to Kanda's relief they didn't run into anyone. He continued to lead Iris down the hallways of the Order, walking past dozens of identical doors without hesitation. He finally stopped at a door and pulled it open, tugging Iris in after him. While Kanda locked his door, Iris looked around. The room was medium sized, much like the one they'd shared as children. A bed was tucked up next a wall, the sheets clean and crisp looking. A stained glass window was placed next the bed, giving the viewer an outside view of the forest surrounding the Order. A decent sized dresser was press opposite of the bed, unimportant knick-knacks scattered on the top. But really caught her attention was the little table hidden away in the corner.

The flower floated calmly in its hourglass, not having a care in the world. A glint of light made her look down. Their necklaces, her wing and red sword, and his wing and blue sword, sat in front of the hourglass. Her hand reached as if to touch them, but a larger callused hand grabbed hers. Iris blinked up meet Kanda's grey eyes. They revealed nothing as he led her over to his bed and pushed her down on the sheets.

"Be right back." he grunted, turning and leaving the room to who knows where.

Iris stared at the closed door, waiting until she could no longer hear Kanda's footsteps. Pressing the toe of one of her boots against the other ankle, Iris kicked off her boots, letting hit the floor with soft thumps. Pulling off her sleeves, gloves, socks, belt and scythe, Iris neatly placed them on Kanda's dresser before heading back to the bed. Flopping down on it, Iris buried her face in the pillow with a soft sigh, rubbing her cheek against the soft cotton. She curled up in a fetal position, her hands grasping the pillow tightly as her thoughts spun like silk. She could feel him, trying to urge her body to accept her true Innocence. His voice, that deep voice she once trusted, now loathed. Iris let out a whimper and closed her eyes, trying to picture happy moments.

A click of the door opening and the delicious scent of food caught her attention, pulling Iris away from any of her distress. Iris sat up to see Kanda returning, carrying a large tray filled with food. She blinked as he sat next to her, placed the tray in her lap and ordered,

"Eat."

Iris stared at him before looking down at the tray. A bowl of what looked like chicken, rice with a red orange sauce sat along with a few slices of warm bread on plate. A dish that she was fond of, chicken marsala. Picking up the fork, Iris stabbed a piece of chicken and stuck into her mouth. Kanda watched her carefully as she chew, measuring her emotions. Iris chewed slowly, allowing the mild spice wash over her tongue. Her vision suddenly went blurry as she chewed, her lips trembling. A drop of water hit the bowl with a soft tink, more quickly following.

"Damn." Iris choked, dropping the fork to cover her eyes. "Why the hell am I crying?"

Kanda said nothing, just waiting and watching. Iris sniffled, wiping her eyes and shoved the tray to Kanda.

"Not hungry anymore." she told him, rasping.

Kanda grabbed the fork, impaled a piece of chicken with bits of rice, grabbed Iris' nose and jabbed the fork into her mouth. "Too bad. Eat."

Iris whined unhappily but submitted, chewing as Kanda continued to force-feed her chicken and rice, slapping his hand over her mouth to make sure she swallowed. When she was done, Kanda forced a piece of bread into her hand. Iris dipped it in the sauce before taking a bite.

"I can't believe I actually missed having you force feed me, Yu ." she whispered around the mouthful of bread.

He snorted but continued to watch her eat until she was finished. Grabbing the tray, Kanda stood up and headed towards the door. "Sleep." he ordered gruffly.

Iris blinked at him at surprise before glancing at the bed. "But what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. Now shut up and sleep before I knock you out again." And he left.

Iris stared at the closed door and let out sigh. "Even though I left you all those years ago," she said softly. "You still take care of me like when we were kids. Like...you still care about my wellbeing."

_Nine-year-old Kanda scowled at a sheepish looking eight year old Iris, her leg thoroughly bandaged and held up on a sling. Iris gave him an innocent gaze as she nibbled on a cookie that Kanda unhappily snuck out from the kitchens. _

_"What exactly possessed you to jump off the top of the tower and then think you could some how magically float down to the ground without hurting yourself?" he demanded._

_Iris made a face at the boy. "I wanna try to learn how to fly Yu!" she insisted. "If I'm gonna be an strong Exorcist, I need to practice using my wings. Sitting around isn't going to help!"_

_Kanda smacked his forehead, exasperated. "You're an idot." he told her flatly. _

_Iris sat up indignantly. "I am not an idot!"_

_Kanda grumbled and scratched his head, glaring off to the side. "Be grateful that it was only your leg that broke and not your spine." he snapped and stood up, pointing down at her, his finger in her face. "Just remember that I won't be there to save you next time!" _

_Iris went cross-eyed with his finger in her face but she gave him a bright smile. "Thank you Yu!"_

_He mumbled something under his breath before shoving the rest of her meal back into her lap. "Whatever. Now shut up and eat already before Head Nurse comes back and drags me put of the room by my ear for 'disturbing you'."_

Iris smiled softly at the memory of when she attempted to fly for the first time. It ended up with Kanda spotting a flailing Iris as she struggled to control her wings, making Kanda run out and catch the said girl. While Kanda got away with a few bruises, Iris got a broken leg.

Grabbing the sheets, Iris pulled them back and slipped into the bed. Tugging the covers over her, Iris lowered her head down onto the pillow. As her cheek touched the crisp cover, Iris closed her eyes and took in a large inhale. The familiar scent washed over her, her entire body relaxing. Iris could smell the soap he used and a faint hint of sweat, combining with his masculine scent. Iris turned so she could face the lotus, gazing at the two petals that lay at the bottom. Her knuckles popped as she grasped the pillow tightly and said determinedly,

"You can't have him. Not yet. I won't let you take him from me."

And with that said, she fell into a deep peaceful sleep, unaware of the future that was slowly being spun into a tattered fate.

* * *

A hand roughly shook her shoulder, rousing Iris from her sleep. Sleep filled eyes blinked rapidly at the fuzzy figure that stood over her.

"Get up." his voice made her shoot up.

"Yu? What's wrong? And what time is it?"

He tossed a package at her and ordered, "Around 6. Get changed and come with me."

Kanda turned and left again, leaving Iris to change. She stared after him and glanced down at the package. Opening it, Iris was surprised to see a black kimono with black, silver, and pink dragonflies decorating the silk. Next to the kimono was a pink obi of the same pink along with black leggings and black ballet shoes. Iris smiled softly as her hand went over her new outfit. To be honest, she was glad Kanda seemed to carried the same benevolence he had for her after all these years. Opening the clasps to her top, Iris tugged it off along with her long skirt and shorts. Grabbing the leggings, Iris pulled them on, the kimono following. It reached mid thigh like her shorts, the sleeves long and wide. With some difficulty, Iris struggled to remember how to tie the obi. After several attempts, Iris managed to tie the obi and have it remained tied. With the shoes on her feet, Iris ran her fingers through her hair, pulling into a high ponytail and then braiding it. Making the bed, Iris pulled on her gloves, belt, and scythe and the room one last look. Satisfied, Iris grabbed her old uniform and left the room to peer out into the hallway. She spotted Kanda leaning against the wall, waiting for her. She gave him a warm smile at which he scowled.

"Come on." he grunted, turning and leading her somewhere.

Iris hurried after him as they made their way to what she guessed was the Science Division. Men hurried around the mammoth room, dodging Kanda and Iris as they entered. Iris curiously inspected the room, studying the enormous computers making Kanda grab her braid and tugged her away. After kicking him hard in the shins and Kanda jumping up and down in pain while cursing, the two made their way to a room that Iris guessed to be a record room. Men sat at tables, writing down on papers and carrying piles of books. Kanda stopped at table where a young man with odd swirly glasses and large headphones over his ears scribbled onto a form, his face concentrated on what ever he was writing.

"Hey." Kanda barked.

The young man looked up before jumping back in surprise. "O-Oh! Kanda! Uh, hi!"

Iris smiled softly at the man's sheepish look.

Kanda pointed over his shoulder at Iris. "Brought her like you asked."

The man poked his head around Kanda and stuttered at the sight of Iris who gave him a sheepish smile. She waved. "Hi!"

"Uh hi!" the young man greeted eagerly, scrambling over the table to shake her hand.

Iris smiled and shook his hand. "I'm Iris."

The man shook her hand. "I'm Johnny! It's nice to meet you!"

Iris smiled, shifting her clothes in her grip. "Nice to meet you as well."

Johnny spotted the clothes and realized what he had her come in the first place. "Oh! That's right. I thought you would like to have a new set of clothes since you returned to the Order. Do you want a new design for your uniform or would you like it to stay the same?"

Iris glanced down at the bundle of clothes she held. "I would like it to stay the same if it's alright with you."

Johnny nodded. "Sure. May I?" He asked, holding out for her outfit.

"Of course."

Johnny inspected the material thoroughly, rubbing the cloth between his fingers. "Wow. This cloth is almost similar to what we use for the Exorcists coats." he peered it up at Iris. "Where did you get stuff like this?"

Iris shrugged. "Isabelle the seamstress from Rainswoods managed to create my uniform similar to what I had before."

Johnny nodded and started to walk away, muttering to himself, leaving Kanda and a confused Iris behind.

Iris blinked in surprise as Kanda turned and left the way they came. She hurried after him, following him to the entrance.

"Kanda?"

He stopped.

"You're leaving?"

Kanda gave her a blank look. "Yeah."

Iris shifted nervously. "But I don't-"

He grumbled and told her, "You'll live. Just find Beansprout or Lenalee and they'll help you. I'll be back in three days."

Iris shuffled in her spot for a moment, gazing at the ground sheepishly. "Alright. Good luck on your mission."

Kanda turned and left, disappearing into the dark mist. Iris squinted after him; trying to make out his form until it she could no longer see past the mist.

She let out shout. "Come back soon Yu! And get a damn haircut!"

"SHUT UP!"

Letting out a laugh at the samurai's indignant bellow, Iris returned inside the Tower again, ignoring the guards that lined along the walls. She wandered around a bit more before a loud gurgling sound echoed the room, making Iris jump in surprise.

"Okay, okay. Man, I must of slept longer than I thought I did. Now, where is the cafeteria? Five lefts and two rights?"

Iris lifted her head and let a sniff. Setting off a trot, Iris followed what she guessed what was the smell of noodles and meat.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find food."

Hour and a half later:

"Oh come on!" Iris bellowed angrily. "That's it. When I find the cafeteria and get something eat, I'm tracking down Komui and forcing him make a map." she muttered, stalking off in a random direction.

"Miss Chase?"

Iris paused and turned to see the white haired Exorcist from before. "Oh hey. Allen right?"

He gave her a cheerful smile. "Good evening! Did you get what you need from Hevlaska?"

Iris shrugged lightly, twirling a stray strand of her hair. "Sorta. Two things: One, call me Iris and two, do you know where I can find the cafeteria?"

She received at happy beam in reply. _'This kid is really wayyyyyy too happy for a person.'_

"Sure! I'm heading there right now. Follow me please."

Iris trotted alongside Allen as they both made their way towards the cafeteria. The wonderful smell of cooking food caught Iris' attention who nearly drooled at the thought of sizzling, juicy meat. A light weight landing daintily on her head brought her back down to Earth. Blinking up, the Angel Exorcist spotted the curled tail of certain little golem waving lazily in her vision.

"Timcampy really seems to like you Iris."

Blue eyes slid over to meet Allen, whose affectionate gaze was focused on the golden golem. "Usually he bites people as soon as they meet." He explained.

The eyes slid back up at Timcampy who nestled himself into a makeshift nest of her hair. "That so."

Allen nodded, scratching his cheek thoughfully. "I wonder why he likes you so much."

Iris shrugged, reaching up to tickle the golem gently. Sharp teeth nipped at her fingertips lightly. "I just have a way with living beings. Human and golems."

Allen snorted. "I'll say, considering the way you can handle Kanda. I applaud you for being able to do that."

Iris smiled softly, her eyes growing dim as she thought of a distant memory. "He has always been there for me. I adored him when we were children, making it so hard to leave because of my feelings for him."

Allen paused outside of the cafeteria, his grey eyes staring hard into hers. "Iris. Why exactly _did_ you leave?"

Iris glanced down at the ground before looking back up at Allen. Younger man nearly jumped at the emotions that rolled through her eyes. He could name the very few he could actually see. Sorrow, anger, hatred, and regret. She gave him a tired, half smile.

"I left to save _him_ and to make him fail."

And then she turned and walked into the cafeteria, leaving behind a confused Allen behind.

* * *

**Le gasp! To whom is Iris referring to?! You'll find out in the future! Which is _far_ away. **

**So read and review! Please? Reviews make me happy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my darlings! So as a treat for all of you awesome people, I give you...*cue trumpets*... a chapter! **

**YAY! *throws confetti* **

**Okay, it's little pathetic chapter. But it's a chapter! That counts, right? A short chapter...**

**ON WITH ZHE STORY!**

* * *

**I do not own D-gray Man. I do own my Ocs. They're mine! Mine I say! **

* * *

"Look what we have here! Are you a new Exorcist sweetie? Oh you're just so pretty!"

Iris gave the man a blank look. Long lavender hair fell behind in two long braids with orange covers, contrasting his light mocha skin. Angular black sunglasses hid his eyes but if she could see them, Iris guessed they would be filled with glee. He wore a chief's apron over a pair of white pants, along with a sleeveless shirt that spelled 'Love' on the back.

"Uh, sorta." Iris finally said, giving the man a wary look.

"Hello Jerry!" Allen's cheerful voice called out form behind Iris.

The bubbly man beamed at the sight of Allen as he stood next to Iris. "Well Allen Walker! Bet you're as hungry as ever! So what will it be tonight?"

Allen smiled. "I'll make it easy for you. I'll have gratin fries, riced pilaf, mabo tofu, beef stew, a meat pie, carpaccio, nasi goreng, fried chicken, a salad, scones, Korean bar-b-que, tom yam kung soup and white rice. And for dessert I'll have mango and sticky rice and an order of mitararshi-dango! Make 20 of them please!"

Jerry seemed to swoon, sparkles floating around his head. "Oh your very first meal here! Such memories!" he sighed blissfully before turning a confused Iris. "What about you, Precious?"

Iris tilted her head to think but her stomach decided for her. The loud rumble made her blush as Allen chuckled and Jerry giggled. "Ah, I'll have what he's having. But instead of the mitararshi-dango I'll just have fifteen of the mango and sticky rice."

Jerry nearly dropped his frying pan in surprise. "You can really eat all that?" he asked astonished. "But you're so well formed!"

Iris gave him a sheepish look. "High metabolism?" she asked awkwardly.

Jerry shrugged before reaching over to give her cheek a good pinch. "Well anything for you, you sweet little sugar pie!"

And he bounced off, calling out the orders to the other cooks that immediately set to work.

Allen led Iris to a table, explaining that Jerry would call them when their meals were ready. He helped her sit at a bench and then took his seat across from her. Allen rested his head onto his open palm, watching Iris thoughtfully.

The said girl lifted her head to meet Allen's gaze.

"What?"

The boy tilted his head. "I don't wish to pry Iris. But what exactly did you mean that you want to save someone but make this... him fail. I don't understand what you meant by that."

Iris sighed before giving him a small smile. "That, Allen, is part of my past that is not ready to be revealed." Her eyes flicker up at the pentacle shaped scar over his eye. "I'm sure you have a story or two that you don't talk about often."

Allen smiled lightly. "Touché. "

"Hello you two!"

The two white haired Exorcists turned to see a cheerful, well-rested Lenalee trotting towards them, her pigtails bouncing.

Allen perked up at the sight of her. "Lenalee! You're alright!" he said, his voice full of relief.

"Of course I am!" Lenalee giggled.

She took a seat next to Allen, giving Iris warm smile. "How are you doing Iris?"

The said young woman sheepishly scratched her head. "I'm uh, alright. I apologize for attacking you back at grove."

Her apologies were waved away as Lenalee told, "Don't worry about it."

Iris opened her mouth but when Lenalee gave her a stern look, making Iris shrink back slightly, timid under Lenalee's frown.

Jerry called out their names, alerting them of their finished meals, ready to pick up. Lenalee joined them and gave Jerry her order, waiting as Jerry quickly made up her dinner and handed it to her in record time.

The three of them sat down, Iris' and Allen's dishes covered most of the table, drawing the attention of Finders surrounding them.

As they ate, Allen asked, "Not to be rude Iris, but are you Japanese? You don't look it."

Iris swallowed her spoonful of her soup. "I was actually born in Europe and brought to the Asian Branch of the Black Order when I was very young. There, I met Kanda who introduced me to Japanese cuisine and fashion; from there I became fond of the culture."

Allen nodded slowly, thoughtfully tapping his spoon against his lips. "I see. And then you and Kanda came here, correct?"

Iris nodded. "We meet Lenalee here. I'm afraid I didn't know her as well as most people did. We...stayed in different parts of the Order so we didn't see each other as much. "

She quickly and neatly stacked her plates to carry them over to Jerry and returned to the table. "I'll see you two later?"

The two agreed and Iris left them, her long braid swinging back and forth as she walked. She wandered around, noting certain passageways and doors. On 27th floor, Iris paused at the sight of a dark hallway, spotting dark splotches long the floors and walls. She knew that hallway.

Iris slowly mad her way into the hallway, carefully avoiding the dark pools. For every step she took, her heart seemed to get heavier, heavy with memories of betrayal and fury. She paused at each door, studying each slab of steel before moving on. Iris stopped at the 44th door she found, peering down at the heavy looking lock. She stared at it thoughtfully, her fingers tapping her scythe consideration before pulling it out and activating it. Raising the scythe high, Iris brought it down onto the lock, smiling in satisfaction as it fell to the ground, spilt in half.

Kicking the door open, Iris froze at the sight when she walked in. A black purple haze took over her vision, her entire body trembling. The room had been demolished, the floors and walls covered in dust and cobwebs, spiders trotting along the stone. A pair of broken bed frames sat on either side of the room, scraps of cloth hung from the wood, lazily swaying from an invisible wind. The room was haunting, the achingly familiar window barred off with iron bars. Iris' hands shook as she took slow, painful steps to the window, her hands reaching out to touch the bars. She remembered...remembered seeing the birds fly high on sunny days, the rainbows that sparkled after the rain...she remembered...

"Iris?"

The trance snapped, the haze gone. Iris blinked it shock, seeing the shattered room gone, only to replaced with a empty, windowless room. She whipped her head around, spotting the person who called her out of her trance.

Koumi was standing at the doorway, a blue cup with a pink bunny in his hand as he gave her a bewildered look. "What are you doing here?"

Iris glanced at where she spotted the window, her face neutral. "Sorry Koumi. I thought I...saw something." she admitted.

The cheerful scientist glanced around the room curiously before returning his gaze Iris as she walked over to him.

"This is one of our old rooms that hasn't been use in over a decade. It's possible you saw a mouse or something."

Iris rubbed her arm nervously. "Yeah." She gave the room another glance. "Something."

Koumi patted her shoulder kindly. "Well, now that I found you, I came to show you your new room."

Iris took a deep breath and looked up at him with a bright smile. "Lead the way."

Lenalee's older brother led her back to the main corridor where they went a level above Kanda's room. Koumi paused at a door and dug around in his pockets before pulling out a key and handed it to Iris.

"Here you are Iris. This is your room, it's directly on top of Kanda's room in case you need anything."

Iris waved as he left and turned to the door. Sticking the key into the hole, Iris heard the key unlock and she pushed the door open. The room was a little bigger than Kanda's, but it was almost identical. A small night table was placed next to the bed, a lamp placed next on top of the rosewood. However, on the dresser, a pretty blue and white vase full of magnificent exotic flowers she had never seen before. Noticing a small note under the vase, Iris picked it up to see oddly familiar handwriting.

_Welcome home Flower Bud._

Iris stared at the note and picked up the vase, her brow furrowed. That handwriting...that nick name...

A sudden face flashed across her eyes, making her gasp and drop the vase. A loud crash echoed in the room, bits of vase, water and flowers scattering over the floor. Iris stumbled back, hitting the door in resistance as she stared in horror at the note that had fluttered to the ground.

"How?" she whispered, staring as the note absorbed water, the ink washing away.

"How did you know?"

* * *

**A little something to keep you lot happy. A little note to any Soul Eater fans, a friend introduced me to it and I can't get enough so you might find a little story I've been thinking about floating around here in the near future…..**

**Prunella7- Looks like you're gonna have to scream cause "he's" back! I'm glad you think I'm doing a great job on this story! Long reviews are REALLY welcomed from any of my readers. So 'Yu-Boo' or 'Yuki'…ponder, ponder…..**

**monamonalisa17-Your wait is over! The new chapter is up and is begging to be read!**

**wreathdeathscythe- I updated! I updated! BTW: BIG fan of Changing World, so…..update, update, update!**

**XamandaluvsyaX- Thank you so much!**

**Jem Juliette Jewels Jade- Here ya go! :D**

**yumedreamer- I updated~ !**

**BloodStainsOnMyKisses- I was actually considering Snowflake for Iris but I like it for Kanda's as well….help me ponder…**

**Rekio-desu- * does herotic pose* I shall! **

**Okay my darlings, the next chapter will be up in the future! Anyone else have thoughts for Kanda's nickname?**

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my sweet lovelies! So I am SO sorry that I haven't updated as of lately but in my defense, in the time that I could of been writing, I have been getting friggin awesome grades in my extremely pointless but hard classes. I blame laziness and having my Muse taking a vacation in Cuba. So everyone blame her.**

**And some sad news folks. Remember my goldfish Stanley? From **_**allllll **_**the way back in Chapter 4? **

**Well yeah. Stanley? Disappeared. Grell is giving me a smug look so I'm blaming him. So I got 3 cute widdle guppies and named 'em after our favorite triplets from Black Bulter! Yay! And they are tucked away safely in my room with a nice little fishtank with a ****lid**** this time. **

**But enough about me! Let's get the new chapter!**

**Enjoy the chapter my darlings!**

* * *

**I do not own D-Gray Man. I do not my ocs. **

* * *

The singing was what woke her up.

Iris had been happily buried in her cocoon of warmth and softness (aka, her pillow and blankets) when a cheerful chirping brought her out of la la land. Long white eyelashes fluttered open, revealing her sleepy blue eyes. Letting out a groan of displeasure, Iris forced herself to sit up in her bed. Shuddering when her feet touched the cold stone floor, Iris strolled over to the window and pushed it open.

A pair of black beady eyes stared at her for brief moment before the owner of the eyes began to sing again.

Iris stared at the bird for a moment then reached out her window to grab something and returned her gaze to the all too cheerful bird.

Taking careful aim, Iris calculated the distance between her and the bird.

The bird let out a happy twitter before screeching as it was bombarded with pinecones by an angry Exorcist.

"SHUT UP!" Iris roared. "Go pester someone else, preferably that stupid Gatekeeper! Go on, shoo! Go poop on him!"

Slamming the window closed, Iris turned to groan and shed her nightdress to put on a clean pair of leggings with a thick black tube top. Grabbing a hair tie, Iris bunched her locks into a thick messy bun. Taking in a deep breath, Iris started her morning with stretching and doing a handstand on a chair with it standing on one leg, while doing 300 pushes with her thumb.

Iris grunted her bangs fell over her face. "Stupid Cross and his stupid exercise ideas..." she muttered.

An hour later and covered in sweat, Iris jumped off the chair and stretched again, groaning when her muscles protested. Slipping an oversized shirt on, Iris grabbed a towel and snuck down to the wash racks. Slipping (literally slipping) into the women's section, Iris gave a few female Finders a greeting before entering a stall. Relaxing at the feel of hot water for a while and washing out her soapy hair, Iris returned to her room, her hair scrunched up in a towel. Locking her door, Iris vigorously dried her hair with a towel, grimacing at the sight of her locks tangled and twisted. Brushing her hair back into a messy bun, Iris rummaged through her dresser and yanked out one of Kanda's shirts and a dark grey vest. Taking advantage of his absence, Iris had snuck down into Kanda's room and swiped one of his many shirts and the said vest. In her defense, she was still waiting for new Exorcist uniform to be finished and she had yet to go shopping.

Slipping on the shirt over her leggings, Iris rolled up the sleeves until they settled under her elbow. Kanda, being taller and having broader shoulders, had shirts that end at his waist, but when worn by Iris, it fell past her upper thighs and the sleeves covered her hands. Buttoning up the vest, Iris inspected her look then slipped on her flats, her belt with the scythe and left her room.

Humming a tune, Iris happily strolled down to the dining hall; giving a wave to anyone she passed by.

The few days Kanda had been gone, Iris has explored the rest of the Tower, well, at least the spots that weren't restricted. She had also become close with Allen and Lenalee, enjoying the moments they spent training or simply talking. Iris let out a giggle when she remembered she had offered to teach Allen to ride.

* * *

"Crap! No Allen!" Iris shrieked, running after a panicking Allen and ticked off Obelisk. "That's not how you mount a horse!"

Allen clutched the back of the saddle as he held on for dear life as Obelisk took off at a gallop. Misunderstanding Iris' explanation, Allen had placed his left foot in the right stirrup and hoisted himself into the saddle...facing Obelisk's rump. The said horse was so startled at the action, he took off with Allen screaming for help.

Iris caught up to them after running around the Tower a good few hours. Allen had fallen to the ground and crawled away, tears running down his face comically.

* * *

Iris chuckled softly as she went around a corner. Allen had begged her not to mention it to anyone and that he never wanted to ride again.

" Good morning Iris!" A cheerful Lenalee chirped at the sight of the girl, carrying a tray holding several coffee mugs.

Iris smiled at the younger Exorcist, taking a quick glance at the mugs and looking up again. "Morning Lenalee. Whatcha doin'?"

"Taking coffee up to my brother and the others," Lenalee explained. "They've been working so hard as of lately."

The white haired girl tilted her head. "Poor guys. "

"I know! Well I better go hand out the coffee before brother and the others pass out." Lenalee said, giving Iris a bright smile before trotting off but turned back to say, "By the way, we're having a welcome party for Allen later today. Will we see you there?"

Iris nodded with smile. "Sure."

Lenalee gave her happy beam and left, leaving Iris standing before the dining hall. Turning, Iris strolled into room only to duck from being hit by a flying frying pan.

"Oi!" she shouted, whipping her head around to glare at the culprit.

Jerry gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry sugar. We're just gettin' a little stressed."

Iris bent down to grab the frying pan and shook it threatening at Jerry who cowered behind a random Finder.

"What the hell is going on here?" a voice demanded.

Iris squealed in surprise before swinging the pan at the voice. The loud clang and a shout of pain made her peek an eye open at the owner of the voice. A pair of irritated grey eyes glared down on her as he nursed the side of his head.

"Yu!" Iris gasped, surprise and delight on her face. "You're back!"

He sneered down at her. "And what a wonderful greeting that was."

Iris glanced down at the frying pan before hiding it behind her back with a sheepish smile. "Oops. My bad."

Kanda snorted and glanced around the busy kitchen before returning his attention at the girl before him. Suddenly he leaned in close, studying her suspiciously. Iris leaned back warily, shifting her grip on the frying pan.

"Iris?"

"Hm?"

Kanda's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why are you wearing my shirt?"

Iris shuffled her weight and then gave him a cheery smile before bringing the pan down onto Kanda's head and making a run for it, letting out a mad cackle with a pissed off Kanda on her heels.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, YU-BOO!"

* * *

Iris pouted as she rubbed the goose egg on her noggin, walking alongside Kanda while she munched on an apple.

"Sooo...How was your mission?"

She received a grunt in response. Iris took another glance up at him, studying his face and noticed a fresh cut on his cheek. Her brow furrowed as she eyed the newest wound on his pale skin. It looked clean but it was bright red along the surrounding skin, and knowing Kanda, Iris knew that he would just walk it off, pretending it didn't exist. Reaching out, she gently poked it, making him glance down at her.

"Did you go see the Head Nurse about this?" she prodded. "Did ya? Did ya? Did ya?"

Kanda rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, their fingers interlocking as he twisted her wrist and putting it in an angle, making her bend down, yelping. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Its just a cut." Kanda snorted, releasing her hand. Iris rubbed her wrist with scowl.

"_Just a cut_," she mocked. "Well, if it gets infected and you get sick don't come running to me."

Kanda let a 'che' as they walked down the corridor to his room. "I can't get sick."

She snorted but said to him seriously, "That doesn't mean you're invincible, Yu." Iris chided him lightly. "You should take care of yourself more. Besides," she smirked. "I won't always be around to save your ass."

"'Save _my_ ass?'" Kanda demanded. "Remind me how many times I saved _yours_?"

"Yes but who killed the Akuma when you lot came after me?"

"Who knocked you out with one blow?"

"... Touché."

Kanda smirked as they headed for another corridor but a loud crashing boom echoed throughout the tower. Iris' head snapped up for moment, her hand flying to her scythe only to have Kanda grab her hand. He stared ahead at the hallway they were in before releasing her grip and shaking his head with scowl in place. Iris gave him an unsure glance and lowered her hand from her scythe. Making their way down the hallway, Iris spotted a familiar mop of white hair peering down the ominous tunnel that led down to nothing but darkness. Allen glanced over at the sound of Kanda and Iris' shoes as they walked by him.

"Kanda, what was that sound just now?" Allen asked warily, as if the ponytail- wearing samurai was the cause of the boom.

Kanda stopped before the entrance of another hallway and grumbled, "I dunno. Wait of minute why am I even talking to you!" Kanda growled, glaring over Iris' shoulder at the younger man. "Get lost."

Iris frowned and reached out to tug on Kanda's hair. "Be nice, Yu." she scolded, not even flinching at the glare he sent her.

"But what if someone was in an accident?" Allen wondered, a worried gleam in his grey eyes.

"Oh please," Kanda scoffed. "As if you would even do anything." His voice echoed in the stone hallway as he walked down towards his room.

Iris sent Allen an apologetic look before running after Kanda. She had spotted Lenalee coming up from behind Allen before she left, reassured that the girl would assure Allen nothing was wrong. Making her way after Kanda, Iris spotted the end of Kanda's ponytail disappearing behind his door. Iris slipped into his room, closing the door behind her. Turning around, Iris watched Kanda toss his coat on a rack and sit down on his bed, leaning his elbows on his knees. Iris felt like her stomach drop at the sight of Kanda's bare torso covered in bandages. She sighed and joined Kanda on his bed, staring at his face. He wouldn't look at her; his attention was on the floor as if something was very interesting was looking up at him.

Iris reached out and touched a wrap gently, as if the pressure of her touch would made his wound bleed through. "What happened?" She murmured to him.

Kanda was quiet for a moment, and glanced off to the side. "Akuma caught me by surprise." he admitted.

Iris let out a gasp of mock horror. "An Akuma caught the great Yu Kanda off guard?! Dear God, it's the end of the world!"

"Shut up."

Iris went silent and turned her gaze down to the floor. The fool was so stubborn, she mused. They sat there for a few more minutes before Iris stood up, drawing Kanda's attention to the hand she held out. Grey eyes met blue with questioning look in them. Iris smiled softly and said, "C'mon, lets go get some food into you and then you take a nap. You look dead on your feet."

Kanda stared at her hand and took it, allowing Iris to pull him to his feet. Slipping on his coat with a slightest grimace, Kanda left the room, Iris on his heels. Loud booms and bangs echoed, followed by screaming. Iris reached out and placed her hand on her scythe while Kanda walked calmly down the same hallway from before. Iris blinked at his back but hurried after him, keeping her hand on the cool wood that hung from her hip.

And what she saw next made her shriek.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!" she shrieked. (Told you so...)

A spider like robot failed madly as it dodged was looked like laser blasts that fired from a mammoth cannon that came from the magically floating upside down pyramid thingy as it spun wildly. Iris gaped at the sight of a screaming Allen as he precariously dangled from a railing as a screaming Reever, Russell, Tapps, Johnny, Komui and a few random scientists freaked as they clutched onto the spinning pyramid.

Kanda lazily walked out and asked calmly, "What's all the fuss about?"

Iris snapped her head over at Kanda with a shocked look on her face. "Are you serious?!"

"Kanda! Iris!" a relieved and frazzled looking Allen exclaimed. "I'll explain it later but we need to stop this robot!"

The head of the said robot turned to stare at the two newcomers. Iris frowned from her spot behind Kanda. "Is that thing wearing a hat?"

The samurai glanced over that robot with interest, his head tilted.

"It would be alot easier if we knew what its weakness was." Allen explained.

Kanda placed his hand on his hip. "Only an amateur wouldn't be able to see its weak spot." he said, his voice accusing.

Allen gave him blank look. "Huh?"

"I had the joy of destroying very similar robot to this in the past." Kanda droned on.

Iris peered around Kanda to see his face. "It ate your soba noodles didn't it?" she asked dryly.

"So where's its weak point just tell me!" Allen demanded.

Kanda gave him bored look. "Hit 'em in the scruff, kid."

Magically pulling out a pad and pen out of nowhere, Allen repeated, "In its scruff, got it. Wait! What the heck's scruff?!" he panicked.

"Wow, that's a shame isn't it?" Kanda mused, turning away with a smirk, pulling a very confused Iris with him. "I guess it's your fate to die, huh?"

Allen squealed in despair. "Nooooooooooooooo! You think you're funny don't you Kanda?!" he spazzed, flailing his arms wildly.

Kanda let out a soft chuckle as the two of them left the screaming Allen and robot behind. Iris frowned slightly at him.

"Shame on you Kanda. That was mean." she scolded him.

"The kid will live," he assured him in bored tone. "If he can't then he doesn't deserved to be called an Exorcist."

Iris couldn't help but look back. "I guess but still..."

A scoff made her look forward again. "Ever the Mother Hen."

Iris reached out and flicked the back of his head as they entered the dining hall. "And it's all thanks to you, Yu-Boo."

"Me?" he asked in a disbelieving voice.

"You bet. I've lost count trying to remember when you cut yourself from practicing with Mugen, getting hurt during a mission, etc, etc." she listed off.

Kanda rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Iris laughed. "Least you're not denying it. C'mon let's get you something to eat."

* * *

Iris waved goodbye to Kanda as he slipped back into his room for a nap. With cheerful whistle, Iris walked down to the dining hall where loud laughter, voices and delicious foods could be found.

Reeve glanced up from his discussion from Tapps as Iris entered the room. He grinned at her. "Hey Iris, thought you wouldn't make it!"

Iris gave him a grin in response. "And miss the party? No way!"

She glanced at up with banner displayed over their heads, reading _Welcome Allen Walker_, streamers hanging from every surface. Iris smiled softly as she accepted a glass of sparkling cider, observing every smiling and joking face in the room. Silently she took a spot against a wall, studying the bubbles that rose from the bottom of her glass. The Black Order _was_ different from the cold, cruel Order she had known and loathed. They welcomed new members with opened arms and smiles on their faces, accepting each person into their family. A weird family, but a family all the same. Voices calling out to greet the man of honor drew Iris' attention from her glass. Allen was staring up at the banner with a look of awe, Lenalee smiling and telling him something.

"You really thought we would let you join us without a welcoming party?" Reever teased.

Jerry stepped up. "Everyone was up all night getting ready."

'That's why I was acting so weird today, I didn't want to spoil the surprise!" Lenalee explained, holding something up to Allen. "Here, your very own coffee mug." she said with pride.

Iris watched as Allen accepted the mug with a look of wonder as Reever raised his glass.

"Welcome to the family Allen. You're with us now, cheers."

Allen looked around with a smile as everyone welcomed him. His eyes met Iris' from her spot against the wall. The young woman smiled and tipped her glass to him in recognition, silently welcoming him to the Order. Allen bowed his head for moment and then looked up, his grey eyes tearing up as he said,

"Its good to be back."

* * *

A large circular table sat at the center of a dark round, the dim lights glowing from their spots along the walls. Ten seats were placed around the table, each occupied by dark figures, and the few that sat closer to the lights were identifiable. A fat, imp like man wearing a pink pinstripe suit with a tall top hat that bore a ribbon, a large muscular man with scowl on his face, a dignified looking man with curly dark hair that was slicked back, a young girl with spiky purple hair and finally, a tall, dark-haired woman with fair skin, her long bangs hiding her eyes. At each sitting spot sat a tall silver egg holder, holding a single white egg with a wicked grin on its face.

The muscular man took the first bite of his egg, chewed but then snarled in rage. "I can't stand plain food!" And with that he lunged at the Akuma maid that stood near by, knocking her down and bellowed with every punch,

"You stupid pile of junk! I told you to make it sweet!" he shouted, the sleeves of his coat shredding away with each hit.

"Please Skin, have some courtesy. Can't the beating wait _after_ our meal?" the dignified man asked patiently.

Skin grunted and stood up, starting to walk away. "I'm leaving. I refuse to eat that dribble."

The other man sighed, resting his head on his hand. "Have it your way. You can't even pretend to like it. How uncultured." he muttered.

The purpled haired girl glanced up at the man from her slouched position and said, "Take it easy Tiki, let's keep things civil. We're trying to have a nice family dinner."

She sat up, directing her attention to fat imp. "Isn't that right, Lord Millennium?" she asked sweetly. "So I was thinking maybe you could set the mood for the rest of the evening by telling us why exactly why we're here."

The girl smirked, lazily placing her head in her hand. "Unless I'm mistaken...its time for us to start the party."

The dark-haired woman glance up for brief moment, her dull dark blue eyes flickering as a frail hand gently brushed along a gold locket around her neck. She whispered, ever so softly, so no one could hear her.

"Dom...in...ic."

* * *

Iris stretched with a groan, hearing a few pops coming from her back from her workout. It had been a few days since Allen's party and the 'Komlin II' incident and so far, there have been no explosions of any sort. Meanwhile down in the dining hall, Jerry had tried a new recipe for pancakes and hired Iris as a taste tester...let's say Jerry should stick to a frying pan rather than a flame thrower.

"Where the hell did he get one anyways..." Iris mused as she headed for the training area where she was to meet Kanda for a sparring match.

"Hey Iris!"

She paused and turned to see Johnny running towards her, holding a large package. "Hey, Johnny what's up?"

The young man skidded to a halt, panting heavily before straightening up and holding the package out to her. Iris took it with a questioning look at him.

"Its your new Exorcist uniform. I made four other pairs so you won't have to worry about wearing the same one every day."

Iris grinned at the news and thanked him. Johnny reached into his pocket and pulled out a smaller package and handled it to her.

"And this is a little something that the Science Division cooked up for you."

Shifting her uniforms into her other arm, Iris opened the package and let out a soft gasp. "Oh Johnny, these are beautiful!"

Two lovely gold and blue chopsticks lay in her hand, silver and black designs in the shapes of flowers and doves lined that top halves.

Johnny gave her a tired grin. "I remember Allen telling us that you left your old ones back at the inn you stayed at before you came back."

Iris blinked in surprise. "I completely forgot all about them."

Johnny reached out and took one and held it up for her to show a very tiny button on the very top of the chopstick. "See this? It's a homing beacon. if you're ever in trouble or kidnapped, just hit the button and we'll find you."

Iris gave him a warm smile. 'Thank you again Johnny. That was very thoughtful of you guys."

He let out a deep blush and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks. Oh and when you're changed, Komui wants to see you ASAP. You got a mission with Allen and Lenalee."

* * *

**Okay! Chapter 7 is done! So we're finally getting into the story line via anime version, please note that it will blend into the manga in the future. Unless I manage to get the rest of the anime on DVD or use the wonderful Youtube. One or the other…**

**Okay, I just had to start at this one episode cause its one of my absolutely favorite episodes. **

**So please review! It makes the story LIVE! And they make my world go round...**

**Loves you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay! Before you all start throwing things at me, I'm taking cover.**

***dives behind blockade and peeks over, waving a tiny white flag***

**I am SO SORRY! I wanted to put this up during Thanksgiving break but all of my professors dumped homework on me and I finished my finals (which I passed with awesome scores)! I am emotionally and physically exhausted. So to make it up for my readers on the fact that I promised to update once a month, I added some more so this chappie is longer. Now I'm afraid after this I won't be able to update until late January, so I'm really sorry my lovelies. But I promise to write every moment I'm free! Plus! Go check out 'Twelve days of Lavi'! My friend and I threw in extra Christmas special (10 pages people)!**

**Lastly, I would like to extend my prayers and thoughts out to the poor families of the Connecticut school shooting. Your families, and the souls of those innocent children are in my prayers. God bless you all.**

* * *

I do not own D-Gray Man. I do own my OCS

* * *

Iris tied her hair back, slipping her new chopsticks through the silky locks. Her heels clicked against the stone floor as she strolled towards Komui's office. All morning she has been feeling the familiar twinge of pain her heart, warning her of an attack coming soon. The new uniform felt lighter and sturdier than her old one, all silver buttons and chains shining and clinking merrily as she moved. With her belt sitting snugly on her hips and her scythe tucked within its slot, Iris made her way down to Komui's office. Her cloak was lazily draped over one of her shoulders as she opened the door, spotting two familiar Exorcists standing before a mountain of books.

"Allen? Lenalee? Where's Komui?" she asked.

Allen silently pointed down at the mountain. Iris peered over a stack to spot the beret wearing Chief staring up at her with exhausted green eyes.

"We're being assigned a mission," Allen explained to her, glancing at the older man. "Once Komui tells us if there's Innocence involved."

"Is Innocence there? Maybe... Could be... No, probably." Komui mused, a book sitting on his head as he tared off into space with a droopy look on his face.

Allen sweatdropped at the explanation, Lenalee sheepishly smiled with a giggle and Iris just quirked an eyebrow. Well isn't he just a load of help...

"Okay, you know how I just said probably... it's more like maybe... or not at all because I really don't know to be honest. Or maybe I do know... who can say for sure..." he let out 'oof' as the pile of books he was reclining on, tumbled down on top of him.

"So I'm not really sure I follow..." Allen admitted hesitantly.

Komui lifted his head from under the pile, the book still some how on his head, along the droopy look. "And what's to follow my friend? Apparently there's a place out there that's being endlessly rewound."

Iris frowned. A town that endlessly rewound? She knew that Innocence could affect an entire town...but not about the part where it could control time and space itself. She listened as Reever explained about the wholesaler and his attempts to deliver an order of ten barrels of wine, but was somehow not able to enter and had getting the same order of wine ever since. Iris tapped her fingers on her scythe, lips pulled into a frown, her brow furrowed. What suddenly felt like a whip being slapped across her heart made Iris snap straight up, closing her eyes and biting her tongue harshly to muffle her yelp of pain. The waves took their time fading away, the twinges making her twitch.

"Iris?"

Blue orbs opened to see Allen and Lenalee watching her curiously with Komui and Reever behind them.

"Hm? Yes?"

Lenalee gave her warm smile. "Are you ready to go?"

Iris blinked and nodded with a smile of her own. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

She followed the two younger Exorcists out, hearing Komui cheerfully saying his goodbyes to his sister while Reever just held up his hand in farewell. Iris did not notice Komui watching her though, his eyes on her back.

"Let's meet at the docks in about 10 minutes?" Lenalee suggested.

With a silent agreement, Allen and Iris left Lenalee in her hallway while they headed for theirs. Leaving Allen at his room, Iris trotted up another level to her own room, slipping in, not noticing the figure on her bed. With a cheerful hum, Iris pulled out a suitcase and dropped it on the table before stuffing in another uniform and other necessities.

"Where the hell are you going?" Kanda's groggy voice grumbled from his spot on her bed.

Iris yelped and whipped around, throwing a sock at him. He glared at her with the sock waving cheerfully in his face, yanking it off his head and tossing it back at her.

Eyeing him with suspicious look, Iris stuffed the sock on the suitcase as she explained. "I'm going on a mission with Allen and Lenalee in a few minutes. We're checking a town that repeats the same day over and over again. Now, I have a question for you, buster." she told him, facing the man with her hands on her hips. "What the hell are you doing in my bed?"

Kanda muttered something as he fell back onto the pillow, slinging an arm across his face and covered his eyes. Iris leaned forward; glaring at him for moment but noticed that he was shirtless. Again. The wraps had been removed, his injuries now nothing but pale scars, adding to the rest that he had gained in the past. They all mocked her from their places on his sculpted form, teasing her that because she wasn't there when he received them, he had to suffer alone. And that damn tattoo...Iris was hoping that it was her imagination that made her think that tattoo looked at little bigger than she remembered. Letting out a sigh, Iris snapped her suitcase closed and tugged on her cloak.

Kanda opened an eye at her, watching her quietly. He had trouble sleeping that one particular night, his hard mattress not helping at the least. So Kanda snuck up into Iris' empty room, nearly melting at the sensation of the plush and warm mattress that smelled like lavender and promptly fell asleep. Was she really going to go on a mission, this soon? Closing his eye again, Kanda remembered a mission that they had done once, a few months before Iris had left during the night.

* * *

Kanda watched the Akuma from his hiding spot, his grip tight on Mugen. A quick flash of white a few feet away caught his attention, noticing Iris taking a new spot to attack. Her back was pressed against a slab of stone, her grip tight on the miniature scythe as her blue eyes met his grey. Tiedoll was watching from a distance, really to interfere if need be. He had faith in the 10 and 9-year-old children, knowing that the overprotective Kanda would keep an eye on young Iris.

Iris clutched the scythe, waiting for the right moment to summon her Innocence. Her whole body ached, still trying to get use to the newest Innocence that inhabited her body. Her heartbeat was increasing, her hands trembling. This was the only way to get stronger, the only way to get the bastard to fail.

The Akuma let out a sudden shriek, its cannons firing up. Kanda automatically jumping up with a battle cry, Mugen activating. The bullets fired rapidly around him, scraping against his coat and drawing blood. Swing Mugen up in arch, Kanda slashed the bullets into half. Explosions danced across the rocky terrain as Kanda skidded past Iris' rock and slipped down next to her. Terrified blue eyes stared up at him, her lower lip trembling as her knuckles turned white from grasping her scythe.

"Ready?" he asked her softly.

He received a bob of a head and Kanda gently pushed her forward. "Get ready."

They waited for brief moment and when the Akuma was close enough, Kanda shouted loudly, "NOW!

Iris lifted her scythe with a battle cry, the rippling green energy crackling violently. The Akuma whipped around in surprise before jumping back to avoid the strike, the blade slamming into the hard ground. Iris tugged desperately at the scythe to pull it out of the earth and did not notice the two massive figures hovering over her. A low growl made Iris whip around only to smacked back several feet and through a stone wall.

"Iris!" Kanda yelled, drawing Mugen up to slice the Akuma in half only to have another Akuma blocked him. He grunted as he hit the ground with a painful thud, feeling something wet trail down his face. The young boy raised his head and howled,

"IRIS!"

"Innocence Activate! God's Hand: Art!"

A bright golden light burned brightly as dozens of large gold hands appeared out of nowhere and ripped the Akuma apart with ease. The screams of the tormented souls echoed in the air they were freed from their prison. Kanda lifted his head to see a familiar scruffy looking General walking towards them. But his mind instantly strayed to the missing Iris. Stumbling to his feet, Kanda hobbled over to pile rubble that Iris had been thrown into.

"Snowball?" he croaked but coughed and called out her name again in a stronger voice, using the nickname that he had bestowed onto her.

A weak cough caught his attention a short distance away. Peering around the large pieces of debris, Kanda spotted his white haired companion slouching against a slab of rock. Her pretty curls were a tangled mess, bangs hiding her usually bright blue eyes but what had his attention was the dark red liquid that trailed down her pale skin. Falling to his knees, Kanda gently grabbed her shoulders and carefully pushed her back, letting him see her face. Blood trailed from her mouth and nose, dripping off her chin and landing on her jacket. Iris gave him a sad smile and whispered,

"I'm sorry Yu."

"Shut up!" Kanda hissed, using the cuff of his jacket to carefully wipe the blood off her face.

She just watched him quietly and looked up as General Tiedoll approached the two, concern evident on his face. The older man knelt down beside the boy, his hand reaching out to brush the bangs out of her face.

"Oh my daughter," he murmured kindly. "It's happening again isn't it?"

The little girl's lips trembled violently and whimpered, "I'm sorry, General."

"Don't be, dear one." Tiedoll told soothingly. "Now let's get you to a hospital and they'll fix you right up."

* * *

Silence stretched between them, Iris standing quietly at her dresser and Kanda staring up at the ceiling. The lingering twinge in her heart made her reach up and gently touch the spot where the pain ached. With a sigh, Iris picked up her suitcase and threw a last glance at the dosing Exorcist.

"Well I'm heading out. Can I trust you not to cause anyone any bodily harm?" she asked, an eyebrow raised at the man.

He replied with a 'che', making her sigh with a shake of the head.

Twirling a stray curl with her index finger, Iris gave him a quiet stare and turned to leave.

"When you leave, make sure to make the bed."

"Hey."

Turning, Iris spotted a flash a silver flew through the air, blinking as something cool and hard landed in her outstretched hand. A familiar necklace glimmered playfully up at her; the gems flickered in the dim lights. The sword and wing was bright, not a single scratch on the polished silver.

"How-"

"Don't lose it, you hear me?" His grey eyes stared at her from his spot on her bed.

Blue eyes softened lightly and she slipped it around her neck, tucking it under her top. Taking a closer look at Kanda, Iris spotted the twinkle peeking out from under his shirt. Aw, the big oaf did care.

Shifting her feet nervously, Iris made a last minute decision and shot forward to press her lips lightly against Kanda's cheek. The said man froze, his eye twitching violently. With a laugh, Iris shot out of her room while Kanda jumped back to reality with an angry below,

"OI! SNOWBALL!"

* * *

Happily trotting down to the boat, Iris clasped her cloak around her neck as her heels clacked loudly in the silent hallway. Pulling her hood up, Iris strolled down to see Allen and Lenalee already in the boat.

"Ah, Iris! We were afraid you wouldn't make it in time!" Allen chirped happily.

"Oh, I just had a few thing to tie up before we go off on our mission!" she smiled.

Lenalee looked at the older girl as she sat next to her. "So this is your first official mission after all these years. How do you feel?"

Iris blinked thoughtfully at the question. "How I feel? Hm. Hard to answer that. I guess... excited, nervous, and...a little scared." she admitted.

"I'm not surprised." Lenalee smiled softly, her eyes soft with understanding. "It's been awhile since you've been through this kind of stuff."

There was silence for a few seconds, Lenalee gazing quietly into space and Iris staring ahead with her hand on her scythe. Allen watched with a puzzled look but said nothing and gave the girls each a handout on the mission. Iris squinted at the words in the dim light as Allen pushed the boat off into the tunnel.

'_Town that Finders can't enter, no one ever comes out, blah, blah.'_ She mused, adjusting her cloak slightly. _'Why do I have a bad feeling about this mission?'_

"I've never heard anything like this before..." Allen said out loud, his eyes on his copy. He looked over his shoulder at the older female Exorcist. "How about you Iris? You've been around more than I have."

Shaking her head, Iris told him, "Nope. I've seen and heard of some pretty odd things in my past time here but this might take the cake."

The three were silent for a few seconds and Lenalee spoke up. "So your new life, you like it?"

Allen turned around fully to ask, "Do you mean the jobs or how I'm living with the Order now?"

"I guess both." Lenalee explained sheepishly.

"I'm still getting use to the work but I'm starting to feel at home at the Order. It really does feel like a family, y'know? Everybody's been real nice to me," he smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Well except for one person in particular." he grimaced.

Iris chuckled softly but said nothing. She had heard about Kanda nearly slicing poor Allen in half when he first came to the Order.

Lenalee smiled happily. "That's nice. I'm glad. And as for me, it took me quite a while to get use to it." she explained, her gaze down cast.

Blue eyes flickered over at the younger Exorcist as she explained on how she arrived at the order, followed a few years later by Komui. Damn it Lee, stop bringing up bad memories. She could still see copper eyes silently burning down emotionlessly into her tear filled eyes stared pleadingly up at him. A sudden tickle in her throat broke her train of the thought and she let out a muffled cough into her elbow. Something soft and cool crawled into her hood and snuggled against her neck. Timcampy had left his spot from Allen's head and fluttered over to Iris at the sound of her coughing. The said young woman smiled softly and reached up to rub Timcampy's small body in thanks, feeling its sharp teeth gently nip at her fingertips.

"... and by chance, I meet Iris." Lenalee's voice broke her out of the moment. Lenalee was smiling over at her while Allen gazed upon them.

"How exactly did you two meet? I mean, I know you two met before Iris left but I don't know the whole story." Allen inquired.

Nodding, Iris explained, "General Tiedoll and I had gone on a brief mission in France and returned with a new shard of Innocence when I was told that there was a new Exorcist."

* * *

(Another flashback? Sheesh.)

Her small boots thudded softly against the stone floor as Iris took two steps for every one of Tiedoll's. The older man smiled fondly down at the girl and asked,

"Would you like to come with me to give the Innocence to Hevlaska?"

Iris smiled happily at the General. "Okay!" she chirped, skipping ahead.

Leaving a chuckling Tiedoll behind her, Iris skipped around the corner only to stop and have the General bump into her. He blinked down at the little girl with a puzzled look. "Iris?"

Following the direction that her blue eyes were staring in, Tiedoll almost nearly laughed out loud in amusement.

"What's wrong, Iris? Never seen another little girl before?" he rumbled, squatting down a little below her height.

The 9 old year stared with wide eyes at the small pigtailed girl who was clutching the jacket of tall man who was approaching the two of them. Her violet eyes darted around almost nervously but when they landed on Iris, they widened and the little girl gave her a shy smile. Tiedoll gently nudged Iris towards the girl before speaking to the younger man as he approached. The man gave Iris a brief smile and a glance before speaking quietly to Tiedoll who replied back just as quietly. Giving the General a timid look, who ignored it, Iris turned to the little girl and bowed respectfully.

"I'm Iris." she said softly.

To her surprise, the little girl let go of the man's coat, bowed back hastily and then reattached herself to the man again.

"I'm...Lenalee." she whispered, shyly.

The two girls stared at each other but Tiedoll gently took Iris' shoulder and said it was time to go to Hevlaska. As they left, Iris turned to watch the little girl leave with the man.

"General?"

"Hm?" Old, wise brown eyes glanced down at the young Exorcist.

Iris pointed in the direction the man and girl left. "Is she an Exorcist?"

Tiedoll went silent for a moment and then said. "Yes Iris. She is an Exorcist."

* * *

Iris sighed as they arrived train station, showing the train conductor their crests that allowed them to sit in first class. Tossing her suitcase up above her head alongside Lenalee's and Allen's, Iris plopped down by the window seat and let out a tired groan. Leaving Allen's shoulder, Timcampy fluttered his way over to Iris and snuggled against her neck.

"By the way, Allen," Iris said, reaching up to tickle Timcampy. "Where did you get Timcampy?"

_'Cuz, I only know one person that has/had Timcampy and due to Komui's loud ranting, he's either dead(not even possible) or alive(and sleeping with any pretty little thing in a skirt).' _

Allen gave her a weak smile and said, "Timcampy belonged to my master."

She stiffened. _'Oh no. Don't tell me-!'_

"Who's your Master?"

_'Please, oh please don't say its-"_

"General Cross Marian."

_'Ah shit.'_

"O-oh really?" Iris stammered.

The white haired boy nodded, his smile becoming more relaxed. "Yeah. He's currently missing. We were currently in India when he hit me over the head with his hammer and vanished. Leaving Timcampy with me."

_'Yep. That's sounds like Cross. Course the he would squeeze one of my pressure points and knock me out for about 3 hours.'_ Iris thought, sweat dropping at the memory of Cross knocking a 6-year Iris out so he could sneak out to drink.

Lenalee blinked thoughtfully. "Iris, didn't you have Cros-!" she let out a yelp when a high-heeled boot slammed on her unprotected foot.

Blues eyes burned dangerously at the younger girl with a warning glint in them. Lenalee went silent, making Allen give the two a bewildered look but ignored it. With a sigh, Iris snuggled up against the window and closed her eyes, opening one blue eye at Allen, she asked, "Wake me up when we get there?"

She received a nod and with that, Iris curled up and closed her eyes, allowing the darkness to sweep over her.

* * *

"-is? Iris. We're here." a gentle hand shook her shoulder, urging her awake. Blinking sleepily, Iris peered out drowsily out the window, the foggy atmosphere make her groan unhappily.

"Gah. It's like Rainswood all over again." she grumbled, running her fingers through her bangs.

Lenalee smiled at Iris while holding out her suitcase. 'C'mon sleepy head. Up and at 'em."

With a sigh, Iris heaved herself up from her spot and took her suitcase from the younger girl. Making their way through the train station, they asked random people for directions to the town that they were searching for. After about twenty minutes, they finally found the wall surrounding the town. A deep rumbled echoed overhead, making Iris glance up nervously. If it was going to rain, then she would be down one out of the two Innocence that she used. The rain would make her wings heavier then they should be and cause problems with flying if they ran across trouble.

Walking side by side with the others, Iris squinted at a tan figure the was sitting Indian style along the wall at the entrance of the town. Taking a closer look, Iris realized he was playing with cards with three piles before him.

"Toma!' Allen called out happily, his hand raised in greeting.

The Finder looked up in surprise, making Iris notice the bandages wrapped around his lower face.

Toma stood up. "I've been expecting you." he informed them in welcoming tone.

Lenalee smiled softy at the Finder. "Toma, how are you?"

"Good, thanks." he turned to Iris who was busy eyeing the entrance of the town. "And you must be the notorious Iris Chase, the Angel Exorcist."

That made her stare at him with surprise look. "Notorious? Where on Earth did you get that?"

If he wasn't wearing the bandages, Iris could of sworn he smiled. "Dennis."

She went quiet for a second but her eyes light up in recognition and Toma was given a full-blown grin. "You know Dennis?"

Toma nodded. "He's an old friend of mine." he explained. "He spoke often of you when he was not on missions."

"Who's Dennis?" Allen asked, his head tilted like a puppy's.

"Dennis was the Finder that would come with me on a lot of my missions before I left the Order. He was a good Finder and one hell of a cook. That man would never let a person starve. " Iris explained.

Allen nodded with a understanding smile and turned back to Toma. "So I take you haven't gotten inside yet." he said, glancing at the archway.

"Right." Toma nodded, a bit frustrated.

Turning, Toma stuck his hand out and as soon as his hand was under the archway, the hand stopped like there was a force field and blue static danced up long his skin, crackling threateningly at the motion. Toma let out a soft grunt as he pulled back and faced the Exorcists. "That's as far as I can get. Unfortunately the only thing I known about this town is the exterior wall. "

Allen frowned. "Its makes me wonder if we'll be any different."

Iris leaned forward squinting at the inside of the town. "Hey guys?"

Lenalee looked over at the older Exorcist. "What is, Iris?"

"Do you see any townspeople? Cause I don't."

Allen joined Iris, peering closer through the entrance. "You're right. I don't see anyone at all...Maybe we won't be able to get in."

"Well we won't know if it works unless we give it a try." Lenalee told them reassuringly.

Toma stepped to the side and bowed slightly as the three walked past him. "Please be careful."

Iris reached under her cloak and grabbed her scythe, the cool wood soothing on her sweaty palms. Taking a deep breath, Iris followed the other two and disappeared through the archway, the force field rippling like water as the three of the entered.

* * *

The merry sounds of the town sounded before the Exorcists as they stepped through. The men discussing business, the women gossiping and complementing the other on something, children were playing in the streets and some were simply walking around.

"... That's it?" Iris demanded. "Really?!"

"That was easier than I thought." Allen spoke up, a blank look on his face.

"You're telling me. I'm almost disappointed in a way. Now, I wonder where the Innocence could be hiding..." Lenalee mused, glancing around at their surroundings.

Iris adjusted her cloak. "Hard to say," she said. "Innocence could be in plain sight and we wouldn't even realize it."

"Well, let's started." Allen sighed, walking along the sidewalk with Timcampy sitting on his head.

Following him, Lenalee and Iris kept a steady eye out for any odd, the latter still clutching her scythe. After ten minutes or so, Lenalee finally said,

"Whadda say we split up and look for it? "she offered. "we'll cover more ground that way. How about we meet up at that pub around lunchtime?" Lenalee suggested, gesturing to a large building.

"Sounds good." Allen agreed.

Iris shrugged. "Fine by me."

After Lenalee trotted off, Iris walked with Allen for a few minutes when she heard it. A group of young boys were making louds noises and faces at a older woman dressed in black with a magenta shawl and her hair up in a burn with stray strands hanging around her tired face.

"Take this Witch!" the smallest boy, probably the ringleader, shouted while throwing a dead snake wrapped around a short stick at her. The woman dodged it with ease.

The boys were shocked. "No way! I can't believe she dodged it!" the ringleader shouted in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Allen, Iris and Timcapmy watched on with sweatdrops at the scene.

The woman huffed angrily. "You know what, kid? It really isn't that hard to do when you had 30 days of straight practice!"

That made Allen and Iris perk up.

"Huh?! I've never thrown that snake at you my whole life!" the boy protested.

"Peter! You're going catch her bad luck if you keep talking to her!" another boy shouted at the first.

Then the brats began to sing.

_"Miranda, Miranda, she's all bad luck! Full of doom, full of gloom, what a dumb and ugly duck! Looking for a job today, who cares you'll just get shocked_!"

The woman, Iris guessing her name was Miranda, sent the boys deadly glare. But all it did was make them run away, laughing and saying something about beaming them with bad luck.

Allen watched the woman walk away with a slouch in her step. "Poor woman." he said softly.

Iris ignored him, her eyes on the retreating boys. "Hey Allen? I'll meet up with you and Lenalee later, k?"

He blinked at her as she began to walk away. "Okay but where are you going?"

Looking over her shoulder, Iris' blue eyes gleamed. "It find out about that woman."

Leaving Allen behind, Iris moved quickly and swiftly towards an alleyway. When she was well hidden in the shadows, Iris silently activated her second Innocence. Flaring her massive wings slightly, getting the blood flowing, the Angel Exorcist crouched before shooting up into the sky with a blast of air. Flapping her wings, Iris scanned the streets below her, taking in everything she saw.

There!

Pulling back slightly, Iris landed on a rooftop and peered down another alleyway. The boys were panting from their run, letting out giggles every other breath.

"Man, she gets weirder and weirder every day doesn't she?" one of boys giggled, turning to face Peter.

"Ha! Ha! You bet! But I wonder what she meant by 30 days of practice when I threw that snake at her today?" Peter wondered.

"Perhaps she was just sick of that cruel song you lot were singing."

All four boys heads snapped up at the sight of a floating Iris, her arms crossed and dangerous look on her face.

"Hey! Who the heck are you and how can you fly?!" Peter shouted jabbing a finger in Iris' direction.

The said young woman quirked an eyebrow as she gracefully floated down. "How I can fly is none of your business but what I want. Is information."

The boys glanced at each other. "About what?" the large one asked cautiously.

"Like why you boys are tormenting that woman." Iris said grimly.

That got them up in an up roar.

"She's that bad luck lady!"

"She gives everyone bad luck!"

"She always gets fired cause she has bad luck!"

"She will never get lucky!"

"SHUT UP!" Iris finally roared, her wings snapping up with tension and fury. That made the boys quiet down in awe and fear.

Blue eyes burned down at them. "Enough. With. The. Word. Luck. What is that woman's name?"

"M-M-Miranda!" Peter blurted out.

"Miranda...Alright then." Iris mused. "As for you lot," she hissed, making them flinch. "You will respect your elders. You will not sing degrading songs about them or right in their faces. Do you understand?"

"O-ok-o-kay." Peter shuttered, the boys nodding in agreement nervously.

"Good." Iris grunted and with that, she opened her wings and took off, high in sky. Soaring over the rooftops, Iris shifted her wings slightly to swerve over the pub the three had agreed on to meet up. Swooping down and taking cover with the shadows, Iris silently dismissed her Innocence, grimacing slightly as the appendages slid back into her body.

Peering out, Iris slipped her hood up around her face as she merged with the crowd, keeping her head down but her eyes open. Pushing the pub's door open, Iris slipped in, the bell jingling merrily above her head. She scanned the customers curiously before spotting a certain pigtailed green haired girl sitting at a booth.

"Lenalee!" Iris called out, trotting over.

The said girl looked up and smiled at the sight of the white haired Exorcist. "Iris! Any luck?"

Shaking her head, Iris sat down opposite of Lenalee while waving at server who brought a cup of tea for Lenalee and a glass of water for Iris. "Well I got some info from the locals but it's not much."

Purple eyes peered at her from over the rim of the mug. "Oh?"

Taking a sip of water, Iris nodded. She was about to speak when the bell jingled again, making the two girls turn to see Allen pulling his hood down and walking to them with a smile.

* * *

The room was barely lit, the shadows dancing merrily across the walls as the fat imp like man sat at a round table, surrounded by other beings. Some were hidden in the shadows while others boldly sat in what little light that was there. An Akuma maid and butler stood on either side of the Earl, their hands clasped before as they awaited orders from their Maker.

"Welcome members of my family," he began, his large hands outspread as he greeted them. "Let us all find success in our quest for Innocence. I provided a collection of Akuma to chose from to use as you see fit."

The composed man closed his eyes with smile. "So we'll be hunting Innocence." he mused out loud.

The purple haired girl from before raised her hand from her slouched position. "That's right, I'm ready to let loose," she purred happily. "I bet it'll be so much fun."

The man opened his golden eyes. "I have other business to finish first but let me know if you need my help."

"Then, maybe I'll go ahead and start the celebration with a bang." the girl said, letting out a soft giggle as she smiled.

The man glanced to his left, taking in the sight of the dark haired woman and asked kindly, "Would you like to come along my dear? Or do you wish to stay here and work on your weaving?"

Blue eyes flickered up at the man, blue meeting gold and she whispered, "I...would...like to...stay."

With a nod, the man stood, bowed to the occupants of the table and left. The purple haired girl stretched and pouted to the woman, "Are you sure you don't wanna come?"

When the woman nodded, the girl pouted before bouncing away. Unnoticed by the woman, the Earl's evil gaze burned at the back of her head, his smile as sweet as sour milk.

* * *

Iris stared at the picture from her new seat next to Lenalee . The latter looked up at Allen with a frown when he finished explaining that he had found an Akuma cornering the same woman that Allen and Iris had seen earlier.

"What's it suppose to be?" Lenalee demanded, implying at the picture in her hands.

Iris tilted her head while squinting at Allen's excuse for a human being. "Looks like an balding, disfigured old man with a hairy wart on his head, with a hairy neck and knives poking out of his eyes."

Allen let out a sneeze. "Excuse me."

"Don't ignore what I asked. How did you lose her Allen?!" Lenalee demanded.

Allen stared down at the table bashfully. "She ran off before I could catch her. But look! At least we know what she looks like now!"

Lenalee looked back down at the picture with a disappointed look. "I guess so."

Iris quirked an eyebrow. "If this is what she really looks like, I'll dress like Yu for month; ponytail and all." she muttered.

"We can use the drawing to find her!" Allen explained, ever the optimistic.

He turned to Iris who was eyeing the picture with frown. "You saw her too Iris! Back before we spilt up."

"Correction, Allen. I saw the back of her head and the clothing she wore. Not her actual face." the Exorcist informed him as she spotted the waiter fixing both hers and Allen's meals.

Allen turned to Lenalee. "Is.. it.. is it really that bad?" he asked nervously.

"Uh, yeah."

The boy sighed dejectedly while Lenalee spoke,

"If I had know this was going to happened I would of never us spit up in the first place. " she told him.

Iris twirled a stray lock of hair thoughtfully before asking, "This Akuma you fought. Are you positive it said Innocence to her?"

Allen blinked. "Yeah."

The conversation had been interrupted as the waiter arrived with several plates stacked with food including bread, soups and salads. "Here ya go! Enjoy!" the waiter chimed happily as he left.

Lenalee stared as Iris eagerly took a plate of steaks with a yellow sauce, cutting into it with a gleam in her pretty eyes. "You're both gonna eat all of that?" she asked in disbelief.

Allen held up his knife and fork, the same gleam in his eyes as Iris'. "I'm gonna get started. K? K."With ease, he neatly cut the large steak in half and stuffed the entire piece in his mouth.

Lenalee watched with awe as both of her companions easily finished off the dishes, Iris trying to swipe some of Allen's sausages and he in return trying to take some of her stew. Within in seconds the plates sparkled clean as Allen wiped his mouth with napkin and Iris neatly stacked the plates. "Mmmm. That was delectable." he happily reported.

"Yup." Iris agreed. "Not as good as Jerry's but delicious anyways."

"Wow, you both actually did it." Lenalee said, astonished.

Allen leaned forward. "So about that woman again, she's the key. I think she'll be able to lead us right to the Innocence. We're sure lucky I found her!"

Lenalee sweat dropped. "Yeah. Right."

Iris sighed. "Question is. How do we find her? The brats I cornered told me that she's the unluckiest person in the world."

Allen glanced at her. "Really? Lenalee, how about you? How did your investigation going?"

Lenalee took a sip of her tea and replied, "It looks like that my brother's theory was correct after all. So right after I spilt with the two of you, I attempted to leave the town." She explained on how she made a hole in the wall with her Dark Boots but when she attempted to walked out, it just spit her back in.

Iris frowned, puzzled. This was new. Automatically she began to rerun through all of Yeager's and Tiedoll's lessons on Innocence. They never mentioned Innocence taking over an entire town and having the day repeat over and over again. But then again, Innocence could take over any form or shape if it wished to be.

"So its just as we feared." Allen sighed, glancing up at Timcampy who was busy tugging on a lock of his white hair.

"And now we're stuck in this endless loop of a town, along with everyone else until we find a solution." Lenalee said, staring down into her tea before looking up. "That's why we need to get the Innocence, ASPA."

"Innocence?" a new voice wavered curiously behind them.

Iris glanced behind her before letting out a scream as pair of wide creepy eyes under a familiar magenta shawl stared up at her.

"HOLY SHIT! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Allen spazzed at the sight. "That's her Lenalee! She's the one!" he shouted, lying across the table and pointing at the woman who screamed back in response.

Shooting off like a bullet, the woman took off with the three Exorcists and Golem on her tail as she ran around the pub and causing crashes wherever she went. It finally ended when she shot out the window with Allen hanging halfway out the window, clinging onto the hem of her dress and Iris falling out of the window and faceplanting into the sidewalk.

The mystery woman turned, panting while looking blue in the face. "Yo-You're Exorcists?"

Allen's arm trembled as he clung onto her. "We are. But why are you running away? We're here to help you." he groaned in a strained voice.

"I'm sorry. "the woman apologized weakly. "I've been through a lot lately."

Iris moaned pathetically from her spot in the concrete, her legs still in the window of the pub. "Sure you have."

After a few minutes of calming the woman down and getting some ice for Iris' slightly bruised face, they all sat down the booth again. This time, Iris sitting next to the woman on the outside seat while Lenalee and Allen sat on the other side. Taking a quick glance at the woman, Iris returned her attention to Allen, only to see him looking over at the bartender on the phone.

Straining her ears, Iris listened.

"...barrels of red wine. I need it tomorrow."

Allen returned his attention back to the group as the woman began to speak.

"So my name is Miranda Lotto, and I'm alone. But I'm happy to that there are people who can see what I see."

"Yes, um..." Allen trailed off, not really sure on what to say.

"I would mention it to other people but they would just mock me. This last month's been so hard I contemplated suicide. But I've learned that only way to survived is to DODGE THE SNAKE!" she giggled madly, dark shadows swirling around her head.

The three Exorcists stared that the giggling madwoman with sweat drops.

_'I think she's...'_ Allen.

_'lost her mind..._' Lenalee.

_'Why do I always have to sit next to the nutjob?'_ Iris.

Once Miranda's giggling subsided, Lenalee asked, "Ms. Lotto, tell me. You've been able to see the abnormalities that are happening every day?"

The older woman looked up, tears in her eyes. "I have. But it's as if nobody else in town has any idea that it's happening. Please, you have to help me out! I can't stand this insanity anymore!" she wailed.

Shooting across the table, Miranda grabbed a terrified Allen's hands. "YOU SAVED MY LIFE FROM THE EVIL MONSTER BACK THERE! YOU SAVED ME ONCE, YOU CAN SAVE ME AGAIN CAN'T YOU?!"

"You need to calm down Miranda!" Allen attempted to soothe the hysterical woman while Iris and Lenalee looked on with bewildered looks. "We'll help! But we need to work together on this!"

"That sounds really good." the woman sobbed.

"Something must of happened on the first October 28 to trigger the repetition." Lenalee said, sweat dropping at the sight. "Any idea what it could be?"

"How many do I have to tell you people, it's always October 28th here!" Miranda sobbed.

Allen suddenly looked up, grabbing the others attention as he looked over his shoulder at the five men sitting at the bar.

Miranda blinked. "What's wrong?"

Allen stood up. "Do you see those men at the bar Miranda?" he asked, taking off his glove. "They're the only people in town that noticed that you're the only one different from everyone else aside from us. "

Cords shot out form the men's bodies; their clothes and very skin shredding like paper.

Allen's hand glowed brightly, the green cross shimmering. "I realize why you're the only one that the time warp affects and why you can see things that others cannot see. "

Lenalee and Iris stood, joining Allen as the Akuma finished transforming, letting out agonized howls.

He continued. "Its because you the one who's in contact with the Innocence which is causing these abnormalities which is why this creatures are here."

Miranda let out a scream at the five Akuma that stood before Allen in all of their true forms. Lenalee closed her eyes as her Innocence activated, becoming the Dark Boots. Iris pulled her scythe free from its slot and murmured,

"Innocence activate."

The blazing green light of the power of Innocence shone bright as the scythe grew in length as the blade extended. The lilies on the scythe glowed as they were craved into the silver.

The Akuma let a bellow, followed by the first attack. The force of the firepower caused the windows to shatter. Allen had lifted his arm to deflect the blast, keeping Miranda, Iris and Lenalee safe. Lenalee launched herself at the Akuma, slamming her heels into its face and did a backflip to allow Iris and Allen to attack.

"Ladies first!' Iris grunted, swing her scythe in a wide arc and brought it down onto Akuma, cutting off a few of its claws and two of its tongues. "Allen, finish it off!"

Charging with a cry, Allen lifted his hand and destroyed the Akuma, the claws ripping through it with ease.

Backing away, Miranda let out a cry as one the Akuma; a three faced one, shot its arms out to capture her, only to have Allen's massive hand grabbed them from touching Miranda. With astonishing strength, Allen flung the three-faced Akuma against a wall. Meanwhile Lenalee was flipping and dodging another Akuma with razor sharp knives that spun at a rapid pace. She landed with a grunt, taking a protective stance before Miranda.

Iris let a snarl as she slashed a squirrel like Akuma who dodged it while giggling.

"Hold still so I can KILL YOU!" she roared, twirling the scythe and then flinging it. The Akuma let a shriek of pain when the scythe managed to cut off its tail.

"My tail! My beautiful tail!" the Akuma wailed, frantically trying to stop the bleeding. "You'll pay!" it roared with fury.

"Oh just shut up!" she yelled as the scythe came spinning back to her like a boomerang.

"Die Exorcist scum!" the Akuma howled, firing is bullets.

Dodging the blasts, Iris shot up into the air to bring her Innocence down to cut the Akuma in half.

"Lenalee, get Miranda to safety while Iris and I handle this." Allen ordered, jumping back from the current Akuma he was fighting. "Your Dark Boots are quicker than anything these Akuma can muster."

What his Innocence did next made Iris gape. _'A gun?! His Innocence can change forms?!' _

The pink haired Akuma cried out as the glowing bullets hit it. "We'll met up with you later!" Allen shouted.

Lenalee grabbed Miranda and shot up into the air, kicking the three-faced Akuma away from them. "Be careful you two!" she called out.

The pink haired Akuma lunged forward, trying to take whack at Allen. However the Exorcist fired his gun again, the Akuma dodging with a frustrated hiss. The three remaining Akuma surround Allen and Iris.

"All of these Akumas are Level 2s." Allen said nervously.

"Calm down Allen." Iris ordered, shifting her weight in case she needed to jump.

The three-faced Akuma scoffed before shrieking, "Pang Voice!" creating sound waves that made both Allen and Iris cringe and covered their ears.

"It feels like my head is splitting !" Allen cried out.

Iris let a cry of pain and glanced up to see several purple slashes aiming right at them. Her eyes widened.

"ALLEN! MOVE!"

The younger boy raised his head and gasped before turning and running in the opposite direction and tumbled over a piece of rumble. Iris had flipped out of the way and took shelter behind the bar. "Allen!" she shouted. "You alright?!"

"I'm fine!"

She poked her head over the bar to see Allen fighting the Akuma that threw the purples slashes. "You don't look it!"

"WILL YOU JUST HELP ME ALREADY?!"

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming!" Iris jumped over the bar and lunged towards the two only to have the three faced attack her. "Crap!"

"Hold still, girlie!" it shrieked.

"Not today!" she shouted back.

Jumping back, she squatted next to Allen behind the ice that could rot your flesh off within seconds.

The Akuma gathered together, leering at the two Exorcists.

"Let's slice them up! Let me go first!" the spinning razor Akuma begged.

"Let me do it! It'll be funnier if I use my voice cause their heads will explode!" Three faced insisted.

Allen gritted his teeth, while Iris gripped her Innocence tightly as she scanned for an exit.

"I will slice you both to pieces!"

"I will make you rot!"

"Your brains will be mushed!"

The Akuma stopped and looked at each other and then turned to form a circle.

Iris frowned. _'What are they doing?'_

"One, two, three, rock. One, two, three, paper!"

This made the Exorcists sweatdrop. _'You have got to be kidding me.'_

Iris sighed. "Allen?"

He fired his gun, the Akuma yelling out with shock and anger.

"You fight dirty! How dare you interrupt a game of rock, paper, scissors!" Three faced howled, shaking its fist at Iris and Allen.

"Did you seriously think we'd sit around and wait?!" Iris shouted.

"WE'LL CRUSH YOU EXORCISTS!" the three roared, lunged at the two.

Iris raised the scythe. "Ready Allen?"

He nodded, a grim look on his face.

But the, the Akuma froze, mere inches away from Iris and Allen. The latter gave the Akuma a surprised look. Allen eyes were wide when Iris glanced at him, noticing his eyes were rapidly darting around the pub as if looking for something. They were just hovering in mid air, not moving. but then they glowed purple and shot through the ceiling. Allen grabbed Iris and held his claw over the two, to protect themselves from the rubble.

Allen lifted his head when the rubble stopped falling. "What just happened?" he asked Iris with bewilderment.

"I...have no idea." she admitted, shouldering her scythe.

Running footsteps caught their attention as Lenalee rushed in, her Innocence still activated. There she spotted a sheepish looking Allen and tired looking Iris.

"Where'd they go?" she asked.

Allen shrugged slightly. "That's a good...question. There was a big booming voice in the sky and then they were gone."

Lenalee blinked. "A voice?"

Iris frowned. "Allen, I didn't hear a voice. " she told him slowly.

The three Exorcists stared out at the pouring rain, not knowing that the owner of the voice that only Allen had heard was scolding the three Akuma as she twirled an umbrella with a pumpkin head on top.

* * *

**Whew! 21 pages! As I said in the author's note! I'm sorry for taking so long!**

**Prunella7- I snuck in one of those fast peck on the cheek for you so you won't die! Go check out 'Twelve Days of Lavi'!**

**Halley Vanaria- Thank you so much!**

**Stelra Etnae- Thank you for reviewing!**

**Chester-Grey- *imitates buzzer* WRONG! Its not Alma and you pointed out something very important about everyone welcoming her back so easily and was found so easily. I thought it over and I'll reveal more in the future. Thank you for reviewing!**


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